Olivia Jackson and the First Legacy
by Calypso C
Summary: A semi future-fic thing. About Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase's eldest daughter, and is not focused on them. Does in fact have an actual plot, and is not just fluff. Better summery inside.
1. My Parents Worry Me

**Hello! So this is going to be my second story on fanfiction, and, hopefully, I'll get farther with it. I hope you enjoy this. I love comments, question, and am open to suggestions.**

**Plus, more fun! Maybe eventually I'll rewrite that one. :P So I definitely used themes from the other story. :D**

**Also, the title is in the works, and I couldn't fit the summery I wanted to do in the description box...so yeah.**

_Olivia has grown up most of her life around demigod stuff. She's trained with swords since she was six, killed her first monster when she was eight and certainly never had to worry about swimming lessons. The bad part? Her parent's achievements follow her like a lost puppy and over-shadow her where ever she goes. But when something her dad thought would always be safe isn't, there isn't much else for her to do than forget about living up to her parent's accomplishments and start worrying about how to stay alive, all while dealing with a terrifying new quest, friends, monsters, and-oh yeah, boys._

**Enjoy! - Calypso C.**

**P.S- This story contains serious spoilers for all of the first series, and the Heroes of Olympus.**

**P.S.S- I took a guess at what happens in the rest of the Olympus series. :P Do not take that part too seriously. :D**

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><p>My mom told me that I should write everything down- everything that happened. You know, for practice. She also said it'll help with my dyslexia, but I'm not real sure about that. But hey, you never know.<p>

I'm not really sure where to begin. I could start at my first day at camp, or the day before that. Or when I found out why one of my grandpas and one of my grandmas were never around. Or the first time I got attacked by a monster, or when I found out that the pen my dad always keeps on him isn't exactly for writing. I could. But I think I'll start with an explanation.

In all technicality, I am a demigod. I'm just one-fourth Athena and one-fourth Poseidon, and as the Romans would say, I'm a first generation legacy. I'll admit, it's pretty cool. Being a brainiac _and_ having control over water? Pretty sweet!

And learning to use duel swords at the age of six? Awesome. Killing my first monster when I was eight? Way cooler than ice.

But then there are the down sides.

Like attracting a _lot_ of monsters, mostly looking for revenge on my two parents. Of course, after the whole Christmas diabolical when I was ten, the monsters got the message and attacked less. At least at home.

And being ADHD _and_ Dyslexic. Not a good combo. And getting kicked out of schools? So not fun.

But the worst and most terrible and awful thing about being me?

My parents.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love them. They love me, my dad is the best dad in the world and my mom is the best mom in the world. But that's the problem. They're the best. They've done so much, it's hard to live up to.

Let me give you an example. When my dad was sixteen he fought Kronos the Titan and saved Olympus. My mother fought along side him and became the Architect for Olympus. Did I mention that they had also gone on quests since they were twelve? And that my dad is the best sword fighter in three hundred years and my mom is excellent at wielding knives, and is one of the best stragitists on the planet?

And then about a year later they fought in another war- A war with Gaea and the giants. My dad, with some help, brought the Greeks and Romans together. Of course my mom did botch up a bit of that, and my dad did a bit too, but still, in the end, they helped to save the gods. Again.

I mean, they still haven't told me the whole story, so I guess I can't really say whether or not they were the big heroes again. They say they'll tell it to me when I'm older. Even Uncle Nico won't tell me, and he normally doesn't baby me at all.

But you see? That's a lot to live up to. So the summer after sixth grade, I was a nervous wreck.

I was wringing my hands and wiping my forehead with my shirt. My dad glanced back at me from the review mirror. "Livvie,you're going to be great! You'll love camp!"

My mom turned around in her seat, her curly blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail and her gray eyes looking at me. "Sweetie, you're dad's actually right for once. By the end of the summer you won't ever want to leave!"

I still gave my mom an anxious look, while my dad processed what she had said.

"Hey! I am right a fair amount-"

"-Seaweed brain, you're not helping."

They exchanged glances just as we pulled up to a grassy green hill and a sign that advertised fresh strawberries. But I knew better- it wasn't just a strawberry farm, it was Camp Half-Blood.

All five of us got out of the car. My little brother Dylan was whining that he wanted to go to camp too. How ironic. My dad ruffled his black hair. "You can come in three more years- when you're twelve."

He continued to whine. "But mom came when she was only seven!" My mom smiled.

"Oh, Dylan, that was a special circumstance." She grinned at him. "Besides, we would miss you too much."

My little sister raised her hand. She had just learned to do that in school and she was really proud of it. "Mommy! Mommy! I wanna go toooo!" She begged in a sing-song voice.

My dad picked her up a twirled her around, and meanwhile, I wasn't getting any less nervous. "Mackenzie, if Dylan can't go, how can you?" He set her back on the ground and tapped her nose. "You're younger, right?"

She spun around in a circle, still using a sing song voice. "No, I am older." She smiled, revealing no front teeth. "I am older than Dylan!" She giggled.

Dylan, meanwhile, looked offended. "What? You're six! I'm nine!" Our mom put her hands on Dylan's shoulders and barely contained a grin. Then she glanced over at me.

"Oh, Percy, could you get my cell phone, I left it in the car!" She said. My dad looked at her curiously. She gave him a look and he understood.

"Oh! Right. Come on Dylan, Mackie! Let's go get mom's cell phone."

They walked back to the car, Dylan still looking grumpy and Mackenzie still dancing.

My grinned at me. "I swear, your dad can be such a Seaweed Brain sometimes."

I just looked at her.

She sighed. "Olivia Thalia Jackson, you are going to do fine at camp." I started to interrupt, but she held up a finger. "You have two cabins backing you up. You are very talented! You. Will. Do. Fine."

I must have still looked nervous, because she brushed a stray piece of hair out of my face and continued talking. "Livvy, I know that your father and I might have set the bar a little high, but I believe in you." She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tight.

"My little girl, all grown up! Soon you're going to be fighting monsters, going on quests and getting prophecies!" She smiled woefully. "And worse- becoming smarter than me!" She laughed.

I buried my face in her sweatshirt. "But what if I don't? I'm never gonna save Olympus or fight Gaea or- or- or save the world!"

My mom grabbed my face with her hands and held her gaze to mine. "Honey, it wasn't about who we fought. It was that we _could_ fight. And, please, your Seaweed brain of a father exaggerates that tale."

I looked up at her. "But he still fought Kronos!"

"Honey, it wasn't about that he fought Kronos. It was about the choice he made. And the one's he made after." She looked at me seriously. "It's not about who you fight, or how big the war is- and I really hope there isn't another one -or if you're part of a big prophecy. What matters the most is the choices you make."

I hugged her again. She smoothed down my curly hair. "And Olivia, we will always be proud of you."

I squeezed tight and then let go, just as the rest of my family was returning from the car. "Thanks mom." I whispered softly.

Dylan still looked a little grumpy, but as soon as we started climbing the hill he got excited. "I can't wait to see it!"

My dad grinned at us, and gave Mackenzie a piggy back ride. Dylan ran to the top and gasped, and Mackenzie wiggled off my dad's back and followed. I took a deep breath, and looked at my dad. Then my mom. They both smiled and motioned me forward.

So I ran after my siblings, to the Pine Tree that marked the border and to my first glimpse of Camp Half-Blood.

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><p><strong>So a little author's note here. The name's I chose for the kids aren't just random names that I thought would sound good. They actually mean stuff that relates! You can look it up if you want. :D<strong>

**Anyways, I hoped you liked it! R&R please!**


	2. I Side With The Owls

**Ha! I finally have a prophecy! Yay! Now I know where the story's headed! Yay! **

**Thanks! -Calypso C.**

**P.S- The last five hundred words I'd typed wouldn't save. Grrrrrrrrr. So I had to redo it. I am annoyed.**

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><p>"Wow," I breathed.<p>

My brother nodded. "Wow is right."

Down below us in the valley was Camp Half-Blood, and it was even better than I imagined it would be. There was a big blue house- the Big House. And I could see the rock climbing wall, and the cabins and the canoe lake, and a bunch of other buildings that were Greek, but all white and shiny and new.

There was an actual field of strawberries, and there were campers everywhere- sword fighting, canoeing, foot racing, driving chariots. For a moment I forgot all my nervousness. But when my parents reached the top of the hill, it all returned.

My dad laughed. "Come on guys!" He looked at Dylan and Mackenzie. "I'll race you!" So they sped off down the hill and into camp.

I grabbed my mom's hand, even though it seemed kind of childish, and she gently said, "Come on."

We walked down the hill and the closer we got the more excited my mom got. She began telling me stories about each place at camp, and went into a long tirade about her quest in the Sea of Monsters. And then the canoe lake, where she and my dad had one of their first kisses when one of them wasn't about to die.

Finally we reached the Big House and I let go of my mom's hand. I walked up the porch steps and nearly screamed with excitement. "Aunt Rachel! You're here!" I ran forward and gave the red headed friend of my parent's a big hug.

She beamed. "Hey Livvie! Excited for you first day at camp?"

I nodded slowly. I was about to tell her that I was actually kind of nervous, but then another voice interrupted.

"Well, well! Percy! Annabeth!" A man in a wheelchair that I hadn't noticed before was sitting at a table with a man who was wearing an outfit that clashed horribly, and a Satyr.

I grinned, starting to feel better. "Chiron! Grover! And, uh, Mr. D!" Chiron was the camp's activities instructor, and he was really a centaur. But he liked to be in human form to sit at tables. I had only met him a few times before, when I was really young, and he had been in his wheelchair then too.

Grover, on the the other hand, wasn't concealing that he wasn't exactly human. But it didn't matter anyways, because Grover was also a good friend of my parents and he came over a lot.

"Ah, Olivia! You've grown!" Chiron said. "My oh my, you look so much like your mother- except, except for your eyes! There're just like Percy's."

I nodded glumly. He didn't know how often I got that.

Then he looked at my siblings. "And Dylan, the last time I saw you was when you three. And- oh?" He looked at Mackenzie. "You must be Mackenzie." Chiron gave her a once over. "Well, you look just like Annabeth!"

She nodded happily. "Mackenzie is my name."

Chiron laughed. "Percy, Annabeth, so nice to see you again."

My parents told him they were glad to see him too, and then started talking about things from the good old days. You know, when they were my age and stuff.

Rachel lead me to a chair on the porch, and sat down. "Nervous, right?"

I nodded. She smiled. "Well, I'm sure your mom's already given you a long talk about it, am I right?

"Yeah," I said. "She did." Rachel knew my parents really well.

"Well, she's right you know. Your mom usually is."

I squirmed. "I know. I just-" I looked at Rachel carefully. "I'm just afraid I won't live up to what mom and dad did. They kinda set the bar pretty high."

Rachel nodded her head in sympathy. "Oh, I know. But you will, I promise."

"Did you have a prophecy about it?" I asked anxiously.

She wriggled her eyebrows. "Maybe. Maybe not. In any case, even I didn't, I know you will anyways. Come on- Your Cabin Six _and_ Cabin Three!"

I felt better. The thing was, Rachel was the oracle, and could see the future. At least, parts of it.

Then my parents called me over, and introduced me to Mr. D. I said hi. I had never met him before, but I knew all about Dionysus. He was the god the wine, but he had been sent to camp to dry out for a hundred years because he had chased an off limits wood nymph. In truth, he kind of scared me.

He lazily glanced at me. "Oh great, another camper. Well, welcome and all that nonsense, blah, blah, blah." He turned back to his card game. Apparently he hadn't changed much, from what my parents told me.

Grover stopped talking to my dad and said, "Hey Livs! Long time no see, eh?"

I rolled my eyes. "Grover, I saw you last weekend!" But I smiled. I definitely felt better.

"Why don't you take Olivia to her Cabin?" Chiron interrupted my mom and Rachel, who were talking about living room furniture. You would think that a demigod and the Oracle would find something more interesting to talk about than furniture, but apparently middle aged women are middle aged women, whether or not they live in a world full of myths.

My family, plus Rachel and Grover, started to walk toward the Cabins. We passed campers on the way, and they all pointed and whispered at us. I got snatches of conversation like, "That's Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase!" Or, "The first legacy-" And, "I wonder where she'll-"

Finally we got to Cabin six. It was a low, long white building, nothing fancy, with an owl over the door way. Technically, I could have stayed in Cabin Three or Cabin Six, or both, but my parent's named me after olives, for Athena, and the Poseidon cabin is still empty. So we picked Cabin Six.

Needless to say, Poseidon wasn't too happy about it, but they promised that Dylan would stay in Cabin Three (his name literally means 'son of the sea'), so no hurricanes plagued the east coast. Poor Dylan. Just his luck that only other demigod child of Poseidon had just moved out of camp to go to college.

I think the Greek's should take a lesson from the Romans and stop dividing demigods by their godly parents, I mean, I'm the first legacy, but certainly not the last. They're only going to run into this problem more and more often.

We walked in the door way (the owl giving the evil eye to my dad) and I looked at all my...half cousins? Yeah, my half-cousins. They all had mine, mom's and Mackenzie's hair, and Mackenzie's and mom's gray eyes.

A boy who looked a little older than the rest stepped forward. "Hi, nice to meet you guys. I'm Lance, the senior counselor." He shook my hand, than my parents, and then Dylan's and Mackenzie's. Rachel and Grover were waiting outside.

I took that time to look around the room. All the bunks were pushed to side, against one wall. In the middle of room were tables covered in maps, and papers, and documents I couldn't read upside down. On the very back wall there was a big bookshelf that was filled to the brim with scrolls, pieces of parchment, and normal books. The ceiling was plastered with maps, some of the stars, and some not.

All in all, I liked the place.

One of my half-cousins, a boy who was maybe thirteen or fourteen stepped forward. "Uh, Mr. Percy Jackson, sir? Can you tell us about the great prophecy?"

Here we go, I thought.

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><p><strong>Harry Potter reference! Yay! R&amp;R please!<strong>


	3. Don't Touch The Purple Stuff

**Hey there! Hope you like this. R&R. Comments , suggestions, and constructive criticism is appreciated. **

**-Calypso C.**

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><p>My dad looked kind of surprised and was just about to open his mouth when my mom nudged him. "Well, I- omph! I mean, maybe later. We want to get Olivia settled first."<p>

The kid looked slightly disappointed, but didn't say anything else. Lance guided me over to a bottom bunk near the back wall. "Well, here you go." I set my stuff on the bed and turned around.

They were still all staring at me, until Dylan broke the ice by saying, "Hey! I know what that means! I'm learning to read Greek!" He was pointing to a poster on the wall.

Mackenzie raised her hand. "Me too! I'm learning too!" They all smiled and contained awww's, and I had to grin along too. A few kids came up to me and started talking and introducing themselves, while I tried to keep track of names.

They showed me the trunk under the bed to keep my stuff, and the kid who had asked about my dad offered to give me a tour of the camp. Of course, I knew all about the stuff that we did here- for instance, I already knew about Friday night capture the flag. But I said yes, because I didn't know exactly where everything was.

I went over to my mom. "Mom, can...uh," I turned to the kid. "What's your name?"

He chuckled. "Brandon."

I turned back toward my mom. "Can Brandon give me a tour of camp?"

"Sure honey. But take Mackie and Dyl with you." She patted me on the back. Meanwhile, my dad had started to tell a story about going on a quest and taking the titian's curse for my mom, and all the girls were jumping with glee. Wait till the Aphrodite cabin heard.

So Dylan, Mackenzie, Brandon and I walked out the door and stopped next to Rachel and Grover. "Brandon's gonna show me around camp." I told them.

They smiled and waved and as soon as we were out of hearing range Brandon asked, "You guys know The Oracle?"

Dylan responded. "Oh yeah!" He brushed his hair out of his eyes. "She comes over a lot. There was this one Christmas where we were all sitting around the table and-"

I perked up. "-Dylan asked her if she could pass the turkey and she passed out!"

"Green smoke came out of her mouth-"

"It got all over the food and our dining room still smells like dead snakes-"

"-And then she started to sprout a prophecy!"

I laughed at the memory while Brandon looked incredulous. "Did that really happen?"

Mackenzie piped up. "Mmm hmm. It did." She wrinkled her nose. "I don't like snake smell."

Brandon still looked amazed but he stopped to point out the mess hall, the climbing wall and the amphitheater.

Dylan looked like he wanted to sprint for the climbing wall as fast as he could, and Mackenzie was definitely eyeing the canoe lake. I put my hand on shoulder. "Come on, we can swim another time!"

Brandon asked another question. "So have you guys always know that you were half bloods?"

I shrugged. "I didn't find out until I was almost seven. Our parents didn't want to tell me because it makes my scent stronger. But there were so many monsters attacking anyway, and I was getting freaked out, so they went ahead and told me."

Dylan cut in. "I've always known, as long as I can remember."

I nodded thoughtfully. "I started to learn how to use weapons when I was six, but I didn't really know what they were for for about a year."

Brandon just stared at us. "Do they always find you guys?"

Mackenzie took my hand and swung it back and forth. "Not since Christmas a few years ago. Most monster's went bye-bye!"

I grinned at the thought. "Yeah, we call that the Christmas diabolical of my tenth birthday. Actually, it was the same one where Rachel went all oracle-y."

Dylan laughed. "You should have seen Grover, it was hilarious."

Brandon looked at us with awe. Then he shook his head. "Man, being a legacy and growing up around all of this- it must be great!"

Dylan and I looked at each other, because we'd never really thought about it before. "Yeah, I guess."

Brandon then pointed out the Sword Arena, the Forge and the Armory. We walked a little farther and we could just see the stables. "Do you think Blackjack is in there?" I wondered out loud.

Brandon shrugged. "Maybe. And there's the woods where we play capture the flag."

I nodded excitedly. "I can't wait!"

Dylan looked on and sighed. "Me neither! I have to wait three more years!"

Mackenzie just looked excited. "I wanna come too!"

I grinned lopsidedly. "Aw, you guys I'll get your turn." I looked at Brandon. "Anything else?"

He looked up at the sky with a thoughtful expression. "Yeah, there is. Let's go back over to the Cabins."

As we were walking back over, he asked me what kind of weapons I liked to use. I told him I like duel blades, and that got Dylan to start ranting about how were not allowed to use lethal weapons inside anymore, unless there's a monster attack.

"Technically, it wasn't Livvie's and mine's fault that the couch got cut in half, it could happen to anyone!"

I tapped Dylan's shoulder. "But remember the time when you almost cut off Mackenzie's arm?"

He glared at the ground. "Hey, I was swinging Riptide and she turned on music and started dancing!"

"You got in trouble!" The little girl in question sang.

We reached the circle of cabins again, and passed the Athena cabin, until we got a cabin on the far side. It was covered in runes, and what looked like spells, and the door way had what looked like a purple sheet hanging over it. Except it shimmered and moved like liquid.

"What's the purple sheet for?" Dylan asked.

Brandon looked at in surprise for a moment and then just looked sheepish. "Oh yeah, well, the Hecate cabin has this privacy thing- and well, just don't touch the purple stuff."

"Why?"

Brandon coughed. "Well, ah, the last kid who did kind of was cursed. Do you know who hard it is to sword fight with marsh mellows for legs?"

"Oh. Right."

Off to one side was an arch way that glimmered with the same substance that was over the door. We turned curiously to Brandon.

"What is that?" I asked.

"It looks like a...doorway, almost." Dylan said.

"Can I touch it?" Asked Mackenzie. Suddenly the surface rippled and boy walked out from the arch, even though we hadn't seen him on the other side.

"That," The boy said, "Is Cabin Twenty's pride and joy." He gave us a mischievous smile. "It's a portal to the Roman Camp. Camp Jupiter."

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><p><strong>So, whadda you think? Tell me! R&amp;R please! Tell me what you think. :D<strong>


	4. I Get Muddy

**So I'm trying to get a beta for my story, but I don't have one yet. Once I do, though, I'm going to go back to the previous chapters and edit and revise. You don't have to reread, but you can if you want. Also, updates might be less quantity and more quality, which I think it more important anyways. :P Hope you enjoy. :)**

**-Calypso C.**

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><p>My mouth hung open. I couldn't believe it. I mean- I had heard about the Roman Camp, and how it was different, and even a few old Roman friends of my parents had stopped by every once in a while...But for the two camps to be connected like that?<p>

"No way." Dylan said in his this-is-too-cool-to-believe voice, summing up my thoughts quite nicely.

The boy who had appeared out of the arch raised an eyebrow. "It's true. I should know. My mother _did_ help build it."

I looked at him. "Who's your mother?"

"Hecate."

"Ah. The sorceress."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

Brandon intervened. "Yeah, once the whole Gaea thing was over, they decided that they needed a way for the camps to stay in touch. They didn't want another Civil War. So Hecate offered...this."

The boy nodded. "Every Friday we play war games with the other camp. It alternates. This week, it's in our camp."

I stared at the arch. "Is it always Roman's vs. Greek's?"

"Not always- Chiron and Lupa mix it up."

Dylan still looked entranced. Then he whirled on me. "Livvy, you have to tell me everything! Iris-Message me, okay?"

I laughed, then patted his head, which he hated. "Will do."

"Why don't we go back to Cabin Six, it's almost time for dinner." Brandon suggested.

"Okay, but I wanted to ask-" I looked around. The kid was gone. I shrugged and creased my eyebrows. "Okay." I had wanted to ask the kid what his name was, but he had disappeared into thin air.

As we headed back towards Athena's cabin, I saw a familiar looking figure standing on the porch steps. I started to sprint and I grinned when I saw her face. "Thalia!"

She turned around and her face lit up. "Olivia! I was wondering where you were!"

Thalia is another old friend of my parents- but you wouldn't guess it. She looked about sixteen, with choppily cut black hair, skull earrings, a death-to-barbie t-shirt, and black punk/goth clothes. Her blue eyes were stormy, and her leather jacket had a bunch of pens with names of bands I had never heard of, like some band called Green Day. I think they were environmentally friendly or something.

Anyways, she was a Hunter of Artemis, and she stayed looking sixteen forever. In reality she was as old as my parents. Older, in fact. It was kind of creepy because it's hard not to treat her like she's close to my age and tell her everything. And to know that one day I'll be older than her? Let's not even think about that one.

"My, uh, half-cousin Brandon was giving me a tour of the camp." I looked at her. "Why are you here? I thought you were in Greenland!"

She laughed. "It's a long story involving some Hypoboreans and the worst math problem ever...but I'll tell it to you later!" She put her hand on my shoulder and steered me back inside Cabin Six. I tapped my mom on the shoulder. "Hey mom! I'm back."

She, in turn, tapped my dad on the shoulder and we all went out onto the porch. They each hugged me good-bye, Dylan and Mackenzie included, and starting shooting off random pieces of advice. I think they were starting to worry (my parents, Rachel, Thalia and Grover- not my siblings).

"Be careful in Friday's game of capture the flag! Follow the strategy!"

"Don't make anyone from the Ares cabin mad- they still have a bone to pick with your father!"

"And don't anger Dionysus, he'll turn you into an Atlantic Bottle nose!"

"And whatever you do, don't accept pizza from a pizza man on the beach!"

"Oh, and please don't mention the scar in the mess hall, Nico's still embarrassed about it."

I blushed. "Mom, dad! I'll be fine, okay?"

My mom gave me one last hug, kissed my forehead, and started walking back to Thalia's pine tree.

They waved one more time before they were out of sight. I breathed a sigh of relief. Just as I was about to ask what was next, the conch shell rang throughout camp. It was time for dinner.

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><p>The Athena table wasn't over crowded or anything, but some of the other tables were a lot emptier. The Nymphs brought out barbecue and fresh fruit and warm rolls. Everything looked and smelled delicious.<p>

Before we started to eat we put an offering in the fire. _Hey, uh, Poseidon, and Athena- just help me prove myself here. Uh, thanks._

As I sat back down I saw the boy from earlier sitting down too, but at the Hecate table. One of my half-cousins told me to ask my cup for whatever drink I wanted- but I smiled because I already knew that. "Blue coke." Instantly the glass filled up with sparkling blue drink.

My dad had this thing about blue food- it came from my grandma. He kind of passed it down to us. All through dinner I mostly listened to the conversation instead of joining in. I wanted to know as much about life at camp as possible- I mean, I already knew a bunch, but there was recent stuff. Like the arch.

Apparently for that week's capture the flag, the teams were all mixed up. As much as I could tell, somehow the Bellona cabin had offended the Ares and Hecate cabins. I thought it had something to do with a spear. And then the Athena and Demeter cabins took the side of Bellona, and so now the Ares and Hecate were mad at them too.

In any case, tensions were running high between those cabins and the teams were pretty much that, with all the other cabins strategically picked.

Soon enough the sky began to darken and plates were empty. We all wandered down to the amphitheater and the Apollo cabin led a sing along and the flames were over twenty feet high and purple.

I was beginning to feel sleepy, so I trudged off to my cabin. In the commons area between them all, there was a fire in a pit. Inside was a girl- maybe eight or nine -and she didn't seem bothered at all by the flames or hot coals. A look of terror was on her face and it looked like she was grabbing for something.

I frowned and started to run towards her, I didn't know how I could help- but I wanted to.

But just before I got there she shimmered once, and then she was gone.

One of my half-cousins, a girl named Macy, came up to me. "What's wrong?"

I shivered. Something about that image had freaked me out.

"Nothing."

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><p>I had had demigod dreams before- I mean, how could I not? And the thing was, demigod dreams were never just dreams, they were normally visions or prophecies or something. And nightmares would<em> really<em> be a better word.

But tonight's dreams were the worst I had ever had. By a long shot.

I was standing on a misty hill- I didn't know where. The grass was moist and dew was hanging in the air, which felt damp and heavy. I tried to take a step forward, but as soon as I did, I slipped and went tumbling down the hill, sliding all over the place.

Long before I got to the bottom of the hill my sneakers were completely soaked through, and so were my clothes. My hair felt limp against my head. At the bottom I landed in a puddle of watery mud, and became even more filthy than I was before.

But I didn't notice. Because in front of me was the girl I had seen standing in the fire, and she was reaching for something...I quickly got to my feet and tried in vain to see what she was reaching for. I squinted.

In the haze I could just make out something that looked like a vase. Then I noticed something else. On the ground next to her was a shape, kneeling down. It let out a wounded cry and I could have sworn I knew that voice from somewhere. Then another voice spoke, and it was all around me.

_Yes. You're a powerful one, aren't you? With all the recklessness and courage of your father and the wits and talent of your mother._

Who are you! I tried to scream, but no words came out. I looked at the little girl and the shape on the ground. Mist still hung in the air.

_Who am I? I think the better question is who are you._

I'm Olivia Thalia Jackson! I wanted to shout. I grabbed my head in frustration.

_Yes, your name. Quite peculiar. But that's not what I meant._

I started to sob, pulling at my hair and looking desperately at the figure and the little girl.

_I meant who are you inside? We shall see. We shall see._

And then the hillside faded and I was back in Cabin Six, staring up at the top of the bunk above me.

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><p><strong>Comments? Concerns? Questions? I'm listening .:D<strong>


	5. My Aim Is Slightly Off

**Against my better judgment, I am posting another chapter. I really don't want to have to say I'm not posting another chapter until I get X amount of reviews, but I'd really like to hear from you guys. Normally I wouldn't do that because I feel like that's not the point of writing the story, but leaving me a review would be GREAT. Even if it's just a 'good story' or a constructive criticism. Thanks a bunch!**

**-Calypso C.**

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><p>The next morning I was still confused and, frankly, scared about my dream. I didn't tell anybody, although I was considering someone over at the Hypnos cabin. If they weren't asleep.<p>

But I didn't, and I kind of regret that now, because if they had been able to interpret the dream- well, it would've made things a lot easier.

Anyways, after we had all gotten up and gotten dressed, we lined up and headed over to the mess hall. I was starving because for some reason having dreams like that always made me hungry.

On the way there, with my stomach growling (I hoped no one though a hell hound was on the loose, it wasn't impossible), I saw the kid from yesterday. He was with a bunch of other kids that looked vaguely similar. He was pretty skinny and lanky and had nondescript brown hair but when he turned I saw something I hadn't noticed before. His eyes were a startling shade of violet. I gasped.

Macy nudged me. "Hey, what's wrong?" I pointed toward the kid.

"His eyes are purple."

She didn't looked surprised by this fact. "Yeah. Almost all the Hecate kid's eyes are. Just like the whole Athena gray eyed thing."

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh, uh, right."

We sat down and I quietly chatted my way through breakfast (when I wasn't eating, of course). I was dreading the end of breakfast because the first thing on my schedule was archery, and, let me tell you, I inherited all my archery talent from my dad. Which means I have none. Seriously. _None_.

One time I was at sleep away camp when I was nine, and somehow I got stuck in archery. They still banned me from the camp even though it was an accident and I apologized. I mean, yeah, sure, the counselor in charge had to go to the hospital, but it wasn't my fault. They _had_ said fire at will, and I kind of took that a little too literally.

I was determined to ask Chiron to _please_ change my schedule, but I couldn't. At least not right then. He had left camp last night and still hadn't returned as of then. So, for that day at least, I was stuck with a bow and arrow. Fun.

Not.

I nervously walked towards the range. The Satyr at the entrance handed me a bow and a...sheath? Yeah, a sheath of arrows. I think that was what it was called.

All the other campers were already there because I had walked as slowly as possible. I got to take the very last target and soon enough the Apollo camper in charge said, "Fire at will." Luckily, there wasn't anybody actually named Will this time.

I grabbed an arrow and after a few seconds of struggling I got it on the bow. I pulled back my arm, took aim, and let the arrow loose and I thought it might actually hit the target. I thought I had a good, clear shot and-

It landed approximately two feet away from me.

"UGG!" I said.

The boy standing next to me looked over. He smiled sympathetically. "Need some help?"

I grinned sheepishly. "Yeah. I'm just about the worst shot in the world."

He laughed and stuck out his hand. "I'm Rigel, Son of Apollo." I groaned and shook his hand.

"Great, you're going to get all bulls eyes and I'm going to be accidentally shooting people in the butt." I said. "I'm Olivia, uh, Daughter of Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase."

He head snapped around. "So you're the first Greek legacy! Nice to meet you."

I glance at my bow. "Do you think you could help me with this?"

He grinned. "Sure, no problem." I loaded another arrow and he showed me how to get it just perfect. Then he helped me pull my arm back, which was a little awkward, and I let it fly.

That time it went farther than than a yard. It still missed the target by a good ten feet but I counted it as progress. Then Rigel nocked three arrows at once and they were perfect bulls eyes.

"Show off," I teased.

He raised his eye brows. "That was nothing. It was only three arrows."

I laughed incredulously, only half joking. "Oh, I mean, the son of Apollo- the best he can do is three bulls eyes at a time? Tsk tsk."

Rigel eye's glinted. "Is that a challenge?"

I shrugged my shoulders and grinned. "Maybe." He laughed.

"I'm gonna do this just to prove you wrong." He said, while sticking six arrows on his bow. I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows.

"I'm waiting" I said playfully while he lined them up. I honestly didn't think it was possible. I mean, I thought he might get most of them, but all of them? Pretty unlikely.

But a few seconds later I was staring at six bulls eyes. "Okay, that's so not even fair." I raised my bow again, determined to at least _hit_ the target this time. Just as I was about to let go of the string Rigel tried to tell me that I need to pull back farther and I swung the bow around.

So, okay, looking back it was't exactly my brightest hour, but everybody makes mistakes. When I turned around he flattened himself to the ground and my arrow went harmlessly over his head.

Which was great, because he didn't die. But which was also very bad because the arrow had lodged its self in another campers foot- the boy from the arch with the violet eyes.

"Watch where you're- OWWWWW!" He yelped. Then he collapsed to the ground, his hand clutching his foot.

Oops.

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><p>"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I swear!" I told the boy. He was sitting up in one of the infirmary beds grimacing. He had already drunk a glass of nectar, the food of the gods, and so the pain wasn't <em>quite<em> as bad.

But Chiron would have to pull it out. Since I was the one who shot him in the foot, and since Rigel was standing next to me, we had helped the boy hobble up to the big house. Make no mistake, it was not fun.

So Chiron was back and he agreed with me that I should stay as far away as possible from the archery range in the future. I felt kind of embarrassed and all the feelings of the day before rushed back.

The boy grunted in response and gritted his teeth. "You. Freaking. Shot. Me. In. The. Foot."

Just after he finished talking Chiron yanked on the arrow.

He said some things that I am really not allowed repeat.

I winced. "I really didn't mean too. Seriously."

He glared up at me.

I coughed and felt like I should say something else. "My dad is really bad at it too, that's where I got it from." I explained. He face didn't chance.

"Nobody is that bad!" He said. "You're the lousiest shot in the history of this planet and considering some of those Aphrodite girls, that's saying something."

I looked down at my feet and I could feel my eyes starting to tear up. But I didn't want to cry here of all places, not in front of him. I took a deep breath. I was going to make my parents proud. One day I would tell this story and laugh.

"Dude, lay off. It was an accident." Rigel said. "She didn't mean to."

He scowled. "That doesn't change the fact that there was in ARROW IN MY FOOT."

I timidly glanced upward. Rigel put a hand on my shoulder and I blushed. "Don't worry Olivia, it wasn't your fault."

The kid's whole demeanor changed in an instant. He sneered. "I know why you shot me in the foot! It's because I'm a sorcerer, isn't it?"

I opened my mouth in surprise. He thought I had done it on purpose?

"Your dad doesn't like them after his quest in the Sea of Monsters, after the whole Circe's Island fiasco!" The boy accused. Rigel looked at him with astonishment.

That was too much. "I don't even know your name and your accusing me of shooting you in the foot on purpose?" I asked furiously. "You think that just because my dad had a bad experience with a sorceress-"

"You wanna know my name then? Fine! It's Greyson Fault and I go by Grey! Happy?" He interrupted. But I was on a roll.

"-that you can accuse me of shooting you in the foot on PURPOSE?" I screamed. Rigel eye's darted between us like a tennis match, and Chiron came trotting in through the door looking worried. "Seriously? You think I'm racist or sorcerer-ist?"

He made a move to get up and I clenched my fists but Chiron gently pushed him back down. "Maybe it would be best, ah, if you could leave, Olivia? Rigel? You too. I don't want things to get out of hand." He gave Grey and me each a hard stare. Grey snorted but lied back down and muttered, "Fine."

I turned away and marched out the door, barely noticing that that was the first time I had seen Chiron in centaur form.

Man, that kid made me mad.

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><p><strong>Don't you love Olivia's lack of archery skills? The 'Fire at will' thing happened at camp. :D One of the counsalors in charge was named Will! Luckily though, he didn't get shot with an arrow. :P<strong>

**Tell me what you think! R&R please!**


	6. I Accidentally Start A War

**So I changed my mind (yay!)! I'm not going to ask for reviews to post- even though I would like and appreciate more reviews to how many people are reading this (I look at my traffic stats occasionally). :P **

**Instead, I have a motive _for_ reviewing. First off, it will most likely want to write more and chapters will come out faster. Second, it will make the story better because my editing skills aren't really...well, 'skills'. **

**And third- One I have seventy-five reviews, I'll _double post_! Is that enough incentive? (*crosses finger* please say yes, please say yes, please say yes)**

**-Calypso C.**

**p.s ** :D Also, any funny names for chapters are welcome, along with a good name for the title! Thanks!****

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><p>I stormed out onto the porch and across the grass. Rigel was close behind me and he ran a hand through his blonde hair.<p>

"The nerve of that kid!" I yelled in frustration. I stamped the grass with my foot. "Who does he think he is?"

Rigel frowned. "Normally he isn't like that." He glanced over at me. "He's not so...confronting." We started to down the hill.

I groaned in frustration. "So he just hates me then."

Rigel shook his head. "I don't think he hates you."

I made a face. "Well, he certainly doesn't _like_ me." I couldn't believe I had been at camp less than twenty four hours and I had already made an enemy. Normally, that kind of thing never happened. I didn't usually confront people so much. But something about that kid had made me furious and frustrated and aggravated and so, so, so arg!

Although I really _was_ sorry for shooting him in the foot.

I sat down on the hill. "I don't think I can do this."

Rigel looked at me with shock. "You- what?"

I repeated what I said. "I just...I feel like I have so much to live up to and suddenly I'm the newbie who shot that kid in the foot."

I couldn't believe I just told him that. Why did I tell him that?

He awkwardly patted me on the back. "Don't worry. This kind of stuff happens all the time."

I looked at him. "Did this ever happen to _you_?"

He considered. "Not with an arrow. But as it turns out I can't use swords. At all." He gave me a soft smile. We sat there for a while, not saying anything. Eventually hee stood up and offered me his hand. I grabbed it and he pulled me up.

I sighed. "Okay, point taken. But at least I have sword fighting next." I gave a half smile. "Speaking of which, we're late."

He looked up at the sky and checked the sun's position in the sky. "Crap. I have climbing- gotta go. Bye!" He raced off down the hill without another word. I sighed again and ran down the hill to the sword arena. I really hoped that kid- Grey -wasn't in my sword fighting class.

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><p>Just my luck. That kid was in my class! His foot looked fine now, but I could tell he had told everybody what had happened because when I entered (late too) the campers started shuffling their feet and looking away like they weren't talking about me, even though that just made it more painfully obvious.<p>

The Hermes kid in charge started to pair us up, and again, just my luck, he paired me with Grey. I squinted suspiciously at him.

"So, Olivia, not gonna stab me in the foot with your sword, are you?" He asked, smirking. A kid next to me laughed and I felt my face redden.

"No," I mumbled. The Hermes camper started handing out swords, but I declined. I already had a pair. Grey took one though, and I thought about how his name was kind of ironic. It would be more suiting to someone from my cabin- who had gray eyes. Maybe it meant jerk or hater or bully or something in another language. Or it could just refer to the color gray for some unknown reason.

He swung his sword around and raised his eyebrows. "You have your own sword then?" From anybody else it would be a perfectly fine question to ask, but from him it sounded like an...insult, almost. Or a taunt.

Something inside of me blew up and I was filled with fury. I was determined to beat this kid.

Why did he make me so mad?

"Oh yeah, Grey. It's on!"

I pulled a bracelet off my wrist and instantly it turned into two duel swords. After we found out I worked best with these, my dad asked Hephaestus to see if he could make some for me. Apparently he owed my dad a favor or something. Hephaestus modeled it after my dad's lethal ball point pen, Riptide. So that means no matter what I did, the bracelet would always appear back on my wrist.

It was was a handy little feature.

Grey raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything. Most demigods didn't work with duel swords but I liked them. They were two long, flat, sharp blades with slim handles and they worked more as one sword rather than two. I didn't know how good Grey was, but I knew I had been practicing since I was six, and all my siblings and I had inherited my dad's talent for sword fighting, or at least my mom's talent for knifes. Plus, I was a quarter Athena, so I had brains on my side too.

The senior counselor in charge said to go ahead and start whenever we were ready. Grey and I started to circle each other, our eyes darting back and forth. I kept on the balls of my feet, ready to dart out of the way if necessary. After a good three minutes, I couldn't take the circling anymore. So I experimentally lunged with my right sword, while keeping my left so as to block an attack.

Quick as lightning he countered my stab and ducked as I swung my other blade around. Then he was on the attack. I dodged a stab and a blocked another one with my blades crossed. I took another swipe and he backed up. I feinted to his left, then swung to the right, and almost got a hit. This time I backed up a few paces.

He lunged again and tried to slam one of my swords out of my hand, but I moved just in time, while coming around on the other side with my left blade. I cut his forearm and he cursed, but kept pressing forward, harder this time.

Even with almost six years of training it was all I could do not get sliced to bits. I countered his sword move for move and I was really glad that I had two, instead of one. We ducked, rolled, sliced, jabbed.

Once he cut me in the leg with a downward swipe that I didn't see coming. It wasn't too deep, and it wasn't bleeding too much either. I kept fighting.

Swing. Block. Duck. After a few more minutes of intense fighting I began to realize that all the other pairs had stopped to watch us. I hesitated for a moment, looking around and Grey almost slashed me in the stomach. I decided to ignore the crowd looking at us and keep fighting.

Sweat started to bead up and run into my eyes, and Grey got a lucky hit. One sword was loosened from my hand and I just barely had a grip on it.

I put my left handed sword up to block an attack, and rolled and came up behind him, grip now intact. He whirled around but before he could do anything I put each of my blades on his sword, near the hilt, and twisted. It fell to the ground.

My dad and one of his use-to-be bitterest enemies would have been so proud.

A few people started to clap in the millisecond before I was going to put my blades to his throat, but before I could he ducked down to the ground so quick I didn't have time to blink. His foot swept around and knocked my legs out from under me- and remember, this all happened in less than a second.

He made a grab for his sword and I recovered from my shock.

I'm not exactly sure what happened next, but the ending result was me kneeling with my blades at his throat, and Grey in a position on his side with his sword at _my_ throat.

A stalemate.

The crowd of demigods started to clap and a few wolf whistled, which was not appreciated. The Hermes camper in charge slipped in between us, looking kind of shocked, and we rose to our feet. My limbs felt shaky and I was still sweating profusely.

My eyes met Grey's violet ones and I knew that the fight wasn't over. I knew that it may have been our first duel, but it most certainly would not be our last.

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><p><strong>Hey! Help me out all you fighting experts. How did I do? Hope you like it anyways. R&amp;R as always!<strong>


	7. My Grandmother Visits

**Hey, so I've had an exciting week. :P Anyways, here's the next chapter! And just a reminder, in case you didn't see the change to the last chapter, once I get 75 reviews, I'll double post! **

**-Calypso C.**

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><p>I cleared out of the arena as fast as I could, and headed towards my cabin. I asked Lance when showers were because I was really sweaty and I'm sure I did not smell that great. Apparently though, since we wanted certain teams on our team for capture the flag, we traded shower times to get them. Which meant we had last shower.<p>

So I decided read a book outside on the porch until all the other cabins had taken their showers. True, it was slow going but the book was _really_ good. Anyways, after about ten minutes Rigel passed Cabin Six and leaned against the railing.

"Hey, Olivia, how did sword practice go?"

I looked up. "Oh, hey Rigel!" I hesitated. "Uh, okay, I guess."

A girl with smooth dark skin and long braided black hair walked by and overheard our conversation. "Okay? She fought Grey!"

Rigel raised his eyebrows. "And you weren't gonna tell me that?" He turned to the girl. "So what else happened Ty?"

She looked at me almost reverently. "Hey, I recognize you now. Your Percy Jackson's daughter! No wonder you were so good!"

I grumbled but didn't say anything. The girl, Ty, turned back to Rigel. "Anyways, she was blocking and slashing and ducking and they stalemated and, well, you know how it normally goes! She was so good!"

Rigel laughed. "Good to know she's better with the sword than the bow!" I blushed.

Ty cut in. "Actually she used- well, I don't know what to call them, but two swords."

I nodded. "Yeah, they're, uh, duel swords." Just then Grey passed by on his way to the showers. Our eyes met and we glared at each other. Then he walked on.

Apparently Ty had been watching. She paused her chatter and looked at me. "That fight, it wasn't just for practice was it?" Rigel frowned and looked very confused.

I shifted my gaze and shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "Of course it was." Ty looked at me like she didn't believe a word I was saying.

"Well, she kinda shot him in the foot with an arrow, Ty." Rigel pointed out.

She looked at the railing thoughtfully. "Yeah, I heard. Anything else, though?"

Rigel considered. "Well, there was this one bit with Olivia and Grey arguing about his mom being a sorceress."

"Olivia is right here." I said.

They ignored me.

"And he brought it up when Olivia was trying to apologize _for_ shooting him in the foot." Rigel continued. "Really randomly too."

Ty looked like she was about to say something when another girl called to her. "Come on! Demeter has third shower!" She looked back over her shoulder, sending her braid swinging, and then waved to us. "Bye Rigel, Olivia!" Then she ran towards her friend and the showers.

Rigel glanced at me and then shook his head in amazement.

"So what did Ty mean by 'how it normally goes'?" I asked him, still kind of in shock from Ty. I thought she was going to grow up to be a philosopher or something.

He smiled and smirked in disbelief. "The thing is, even though Grey is our age, twelve, he's the best fighter at camp, except for a few of the really good older almost-into-college campers. And even they can only ever stalemate him, like you did today. So for a newbie to actually be competition for him...well, it's kind of amazing."

I blinked. "Seriously?"

He nodded solemnly. "Yeah, he's been at camp since he was eight, and he trains everyday for at least four hours. He _breathes_ it."

Suddenly I was reminded of all the stories my mom told me about the days before she came to camp, and why she came when she was only seven. "So..." I paused wondering if it was a touchy subject. "I mean, why did he come so early?"

Rigel looked sad. His smile dropped off his face and he rested his face on his hands. "His dad, you know, a mortal, died in a car crash when he was five. He got sent to an orphanage and from what I gathered he got sent to live with various foster families, but...well," Rigel shrugged woefully. "Monsters attacked and he got moved around a lot. Finally, when he was eight he ran away and eventually ended up here."

I looked down at the weather beaten floor boards of the porch. Grey's story reminded me of my mom's story- it was eerily similar. I wondered how the foster familes reacted. Not well, I guessed. My mom had told me a lot about how bad it was, thinking you don't have any real family, running away...living on your own. When you were so young. Alone.

"Were there any other demigods with him?"

A boy from the Apollo cabin, Rigel's half brother yelled that it was time for showers. "I don't know. Grey doesn't talk about it much...You should ask him." And then he gave me one last searching look before heading off to take a shower, leaving me more confused than ever.

I mean, I felt this kind of ache in my stomach. But it couldn't have been sympathy. I couldn't have been feeling sorry for that stupid kid? Could I? I mean, yeah, I understood how that could have been very difficult for him, but I didn't think that it excused his crabby and mean behavior.

I sat there on the porch thinking about Grey and what he might have been through, until it was time for showers.

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><p>That night at dinner I didn't talk much. Macy and Brandon both were concerned but I waved them off. I picked at my food and was insanely mad at myself. I couldn't understand why I actually felt bad for Grey.<p>

I just didn't understand.

That night at the campfire, I solemnly ate my smore. I sat a little ways off from my cabin, and listened to their talk about capture the flag and the chariot races next Tuesday. I wondered if Rigel would be my partner.

Finally, I couldn't take all the happy singing and talking, so I left the amphitheater. I walked a little ways down to the beach and sat on the soft sand, letting the ocean waves wash over my feet. The stars were out and I could make out the constellations my parents had taught me. My favorite was The Huntress, a tribute to a friend of my parents who had died in battle.

I kicked off my sneakers and dug my feet into the cool sand. The salt water made me feel better, more sure of myself. I picked up a handful of sand and let it slowly fall back to the beach.

I heard sound of footsteps on sand but before I could do anything a voice said, "You're thinking. I like that."

Turning around I saw a women with dark hair and grey eyes dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt. My heart pounded. "Athena." This was my grandmother. Well, one of them anyways.

"Yes, Olivia. I haven't seen you since you were a baby."

I stared at her with wonder. Why had she come? And to see me! "Want to, uh, sit down?" I offered, unsure of what to do.

She nodded and sat next to me, although careful to not put her feet in the ocean. For a while she didn't say anything.

"Olivia, do you know why you're so special?"

I brushed hair out of my face and shook my head. She thought I was special?

"You're part of two powerful forces. The sea-" She pointed to the grey looking ocean in front of us. "- and wisdom. You, even more so than your parents, have united them in ways you have yet to understand." She sighed and for a moment I could see the weariness in her eyes, I could see the thousands of years she had lived through, all passed by in a flash.

"Poseidon and I do not get along. We never have. We do _not_ see eye to eye. However," Athena's gaze lingered on me. "Ever since your mother and father fell in love, we've been better."

One of the waves rolling in on the shore just brushed her big toe. "See? If that happened thirty years ago, well...that's not the point."

Sometimes it amazed me at the grudges that gods could hold. And how protective they were of their territories too. Then again, I couldn't imagine dealing with someone forever- literally.

Athena, my grandmother (that was weird to think about) continued, "The thing is soon enough we- the gods -are going to need your help. You will-" Thunder rumbled in the distance and Athena looked grouchy.

"I've been _told-_" She said the word like she had a bitter taste in her mouth, "-not to tell you too much. But I will tell you this. The world isn't painted in black and white, but in shades of grey. Think on that." She stood up and brushed sand off her jeans.

I was about to protest that I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, but she was already gone, leaving staring out at the sea until daybreak with too many questions.

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><p><strong>Haha! See what I did there? See? See it? No? Well...you will. Eventually.<strong>

**Anyways, R&R please!**


	8. I Get Stink Smoked

**Heya! So I know I didn't post last week...:D Sorry about that. My goal was to try and post once a week-ish. I'll be better! I swear! :D**

**-Calypso C.**

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><p>You could say the next morning was eventful.<p>

On the way to breakfast I ran into Grey. Literally. Like, I knocked into him and fell on top of him, which was just dandy. We both landed on the ground with a thud and he temporarily had the wind knocked out of him.

A few other campers on their way down to the pavilion wolf whistled (again) and both of our faces started to resemble tomatoes. In fact, Grey's face looked really funny because his eyes were purple. Excuse me, I mean _violet_.

"Will you two stop flirting and go to breakfast already?" The senior counselor from the Hecate cabin said.

Grey scrambled out from under me and stood up. "I wasn't flirting with- with _her_!" He said hotly, glaring up at his counselor.

I stood up too and crossed my arms and gave him a look that said he was crazy. "Like I'd _let_ him flirt with me!"

The counselor raised his eyebrows disbelievingly. "Then what were you guys doing?"

I stared grumpily at the kid, even though he was about a foot taller than me. "I ran into him!"

Grey nodded his head. "Yeah _she_ ran into _me_!" Then he realized that he had actually agreed with me. "I mean, seriously, it was all her own fault."

I whirled on him. "My fault? You're the one who was looking where you were going!" Okay, that might have been a tiny lie. Technically, neither of us had been looking.

"Oh? Is that so Christmas Girl!"

My face then turned into that _what-did-you-just-call-me_ expression with a hint of _this-is-completely-beside-the-point_. "Christmas Girl?"

Grey smirked. "Oh yeah, your eyes totally go with the blush in your cheeks." I don't think I have to mention that he was being sarcastic.

My fists clenched. "Oh well you can-"

Macy put a hand on my arm. "Come on, let's go get breakfast." She pulled me away and I reluctantly followed.

"We don't want to make the Hecate cabin any madder at us than they already are," she whispered to me as the group of people watching the argument slowly dispersed. "Last time a cabin pushed them too far...it wasn't pretty." She gave me a meaningful look as we sat down.

I sighed. "Christmas Girl. Honestly!"

Macy contained a laugh. "Sorry." She grinned at me. "It's just that when you blush your green eyes are a lot more noticeable."

"I know, I know," I muttered as we got up to scrape part of our meal into the fire. "It's just that, well, he makes me so mad!"

Almost as soon as I said that I regretted it. Partly because now Macy had to try even harder to not laugh, which didn't make me feel any better.

And partly because as that exact moment I somehow heard Grey from across pavilion say, "_θειόω,_" and purple smoke started to drift across the floor towards my table.

Macy's eye widened when she saw the smoke. Then she just said one word. "Run." She pinched her nostrils and got out of there as quick as she could. Before me or most of my cabin mates could do anything but look confused, the smoke blew in our faces.

It was literally the worst thing I had ever smelled- worst than a dead skunk I had smelled on the side of the road once, worse than this disgusting squid I once fought, and even worse than Rachel's Oracle snake smoke.

So, in conclusion, it smelled really, really bad. I almost threw up and I certainly doubled over, but at that moment I was more furious than anything. I opened my mouth to yell at Grey (not exactly pleasant stuff either) but as soon as I did, I gagged. So I ditched that idea and ran to the bathrooms, fuming. In both senses.

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><p>The aftermath of the stink smoke incident was almost worst than the actual smoke.<p>

Everybody (Cabin Six) decided that it was someone's fault (mine) that a boy from the Hecate cabin (Grey) cursed us with stink smoke. My fault! How was it my fault? I mean, sure, Grey and I didn't get along, and we had had a fight that morning, but if it was anybody's fault, it was Grey's! I mean, he was the one muttering spells!

Plus, it could have had nothing to do with me. I mean, there was the whole capture the flag rivalry for the next day.

But nobody seemed to see it that way, and now I wasn't only the girl who shot a kid in the foot, but also the girl who made the Athena Cabin smell like road kill for two days. Which was just fantastic.

The only person who was on my side completely was Rigel. But that was probably because he didn't actually have to deal with people running away from you because you made their eyes water.

Did I mention that even after five showers, and remember, I have abilities over water, I _still_ couldn't get the stink off!

The Aphrodite cabin seemed to feel sorry for us, and lent us their strongest, sweetest smelling perfume. Guess what? It didn't exactly help.

My fists clenched at the thought of Grey and I glared at the Hecate cabin as I passed it. I couldn't wait for capture the flag the next day.

* * *

><p>"Alright everybody," Lance said. "Chiron just explained the rules; you all know what to do. This is a big game." He rubbed his hands together. "Very important."<p>

The campers all around us nodded, but I was still dazed. Around me were Roman Campers! They had come through the arch and it was really weird to watch.

"Bellona, defense. Nike, you're defense too." Lance directed. "Olivia, border patrol. Macy…"

Wait, what? I thought. Border patrol? Okay. I could do this. The border was the creek and since I was always stronger near water, that was good.

And it wasn't like the first game my dad ever played, where he was bait. Because I didn't have someone that mad at me…except Grey and my own cabin, but he wouldn't do anything rash to lose the game and neither would the Athena cabin. They're too smart for that.

We set off towards the woods and for the first time I realized just how heavy full sets of armor were. I mean, I had trained with it before but not for long periods of time, and not trekking through the woods either.

Once we reached the creek most of the people wandered off to their positions. Macy told me to go down farther and make sure no one got by. I dutifully did.

I could hear the starting of the battle, half bloods running, screaming, yelling. I readied my duel swords, just in case. And not a moment too soon.

Running towards me was Grey, angry and ready to grab the flag (although I wasn't exactly sure where it was). All I knew was that I had to stop him. I couldn't let him take the flag! We would lose!

So I jumped in front of him just as he was about to cross the creek.

"I don't think so." I said calmly (surprising myself), with my swords up and ready.

He smirked. "Oh, so _you're_ going to stop me, Christmas Girl?"

I planted my feet more firmly. "Yes."

He kept grinning confidently but his eyebrows creased and he pulled his sword out of his sheath.

"Confident, aren't you?" He stepped closer. I could see his muscles tense.

"You may be good- but I've been training since I was six." I told him while I eyed his sword.

He smirked. Again. "Oh, excuse me. I forgot. You're dad is Percy Jackson. I'm sorry."

My fist gripped my sword so tight my knuckles were white. "This has nothing to do with him."

"We'll see." Then he lunged forward and slashed downward, and if I hadn't been on my toes my nose would've been sliced off.

My back foot landed in the water and I felt a surge of strength. I moved as if to swing my right sword, and then swept downward with my left. Unfortunately, he saw the feint coming and blocked my hit.

Then he was on the offensive. He slashed and lunged and jabbed. I blocked and ducked and generally ran away, trying not to get sliced.

Grey was fighting like a maniac. I didn't know where that strength came from, but even with the power I felt from the river I could tell I was losing.

Part of the problem was the fact that even though Grey was wearing a full suit of armor, he was incredibly light on his feet and moved like a fox. I don't know how, but he was.

The other part of the problem was that I wasn't. I wasn't, as a general rule, fast. As you can image, that posed a bit of a problem.

He kept coming at me. He leapt from side to side and drove me backward until we were over the boundary line and I was out of reach of the creek.

I tried another feint, but somehow he knew what I was going to do before I did. Not only did he block my swipe, he also twisted his sword on my hilt so it was effectively knocked out of my hand ten feet away. I froze.

Then I swapped my left hand sword to my right, since I was right handed, and slashed. Just like before, I was mad. My anger fueled me. The thing was when most people got angry or mad, they got sloppy. But not me.

I was gaining. I was clearly winning. I jabbed right and left and cut Grey on the arm. It was all he could do to not be stained in red. I grinned even though I was breathing heavily.

I could hear screams and shouts but I couldn't tell which side it was coming from.

I was so sure that I would win- Grey would lose.

Then he did something completely and totally unexpected. Instead of using his sword to block my swing, he ducked and he _kicked_ me! With his foot!

"Ow!" I yelled.

While I was temporarily distracted he somehow knocked my feet out from under me and I landed on my butt with an oomph!

Then, before he could do anything else besides put his sword at my throat, Macy leaped across the creek with a flag painted with a boar's head and red paint splashes.

We had won the game. The flag turned silvery and now an owl took up the middle portion.

Everybody cheered and nobody noticed me and Grey on the sidelines. Grey mouth was open and his sword was hanging from his hand at his side.

I stood up and brushed myself off, feeling strangely frustrated and disappointed. You know, that feeling you get when you lose.

I shouldn't have- we had won. I had stopped Grey from getting the flag. I had kept him busy.

But _I_ had lost.

I had lost to Grey.

* * *

><p><strong>Heya! Don't you hate it when that happens?<strong>

**R&R please! **


	9. I Press Pause

**Hey guys! So here another chapter and stuffness. :P Hope you like!**

**-Calypso C.**

* * *

><p>I sulked. Which was totally unlike me, but I still sulked.<p>

It wasn't so much that I was mad that someone could beat me- it had happened a fair amount –it was rather the fact that _Grey_ beat me.

Looking back, my sullenness kind of started part of the whole thing. So it was either a really good thing or a really bad thing.

Anyways, I was sitting on the beach in the dark. Yeah, it was technically past curfew but I didn't really care. The harpies wouldn't be patrolling for a while anyways.

I guess Ty had seen me head down there that night and she followed or something.

"You know, it's okay that you lost." She said as she sat down next to me on the sand in the same spot Athena had the night before.

"I know, I know, it's just…I felt so…humiliated." I said as I stared out over the ocean, wondering why she bothered to come down here. I barely knew her.

She shrugged. "Not many people noticed. Besides, nobody ever beats Grey."

I kicked at the sand. "Exactly. And I can't figure out why. He's just so fast." I looked gloomily down at my feet.

Ty looked at me. "He trains…a lot." She sounded almost worried. "I've known him ever since I came to camp and…he puts in a lot of hours. It's his soul focus, aside from magic."

I snorted. "I've decided I don't like magic."

Ty smiled and laughed. "You mean about that incident that other day? Yeah, he's done that to me too." She brushed her thick hair out of her face. "I'll admit, I don't like magic nearly as much now that I've been on the other end of it."

I raised my eyebrows and half grinned. "You mean he's cursed you too?" I lifted my sleeve and smelt it. "I still stink."

"Oh yeah, I made him really mad when I first met him." She said, remembering the incident fondly.

I tilted my head. "So, how well do you know Grey?"

"I probably know him best," Ty said seriously. "He doesn't really have many friends. He doesn't like to open up…I don't know if he even considers me a friend. But I know him best."

The waves came up a little higher, touching my toes. "Really?"

"Yeah. He keeps to himself."

"Except when he's cursing people." I said.

She laughed. "Except when he's cursing people," Ty agreed. She stood up and brushed sand off her shorts. "Well, I better be going. You should too."

I just nodded. "Yeah, I will."

Right before she turned to leave she said, "You should ask Grey how he fights so well. It could help you." Then she left.

Apparently the beach made people want to come and talk to me because in two nights three people did in fact come.

The last person was Rigel.

"You know, you should be proud."

I threw my hands in the air. "Seriously! What is it with you guys?"

Rigel frowned. "Whadda you mean?"

I leaned my head back to look him in the eye. "Nothing. Just…nothing."

He sat down. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay." He looked at me with concern. "You seemed pretty bummed out about Grey beating you."

I scratched at my shorts. "Yeah. It's just…yeah. I'm okay." He kept looking at me. "Alright! I'm mad at myself for letting him beat me."

Rigel shook his head in amusement. "You're honestly upset about that? You're basically the only one who's ever given him a run for his money!"

"Yeah," I said sullenly, "I've been told."

Rigel put his hand on top of mine and I froze. "Next time you'll win." He smiled at me, real soft. "I know you will."

I grinned back, laughing nervously. "Thanks. It means…a lot."

He scrambled up and pulled me up too, and suddenly our hands were intertwined. I looked down at them in surprise. I could feel his calluses and the warmth of his palm. It was a good feeling. And there was this moment, when our eyes met, that I couldn't explain.

Then a particularly loud wave broke on the beach and the feeling was gone. We shuffled around for a few seconds then pulled our hands apart, blushing.

"I should, uh, go." Rigle said lamely.

I quickly nodded. "Yeah, me too." We walked up the hill to the main part of camp. I clapped my hands together in a alright-y gesture and said, "Thanks."

He smiled. "You're welcome."

Then we both parted ways (sounds dramatic, doesn't it?) and headed back to our cabins. I couldn't speak for Rigel, but I know that I didn't get much of that thing called sleep that night.

* * *

><p>That night my dreams were weird.<p>

It wasn't like the first night at camp- where the dream I had was so vivid and surreal. This time they were all in flashes, just glimpses.

I was rocking back and forth, back and forth, and I couldn't decide whether I felt sick or not.

The scene shifted to a bright flash of blue. For some reason I was really glad to see that blue. It made me feel relieved.

Then I was running, running. I kept whipping around corners and hallways, but they lead to nowhere and I couldn't stop moving.

Then the last fragment of a dream that I had was probably the most disturbing because I understood it, sort of. There was green mist everywhere and it smelled like snakes. The oracle's mist. And I could hear whispers of words, just faintly, but I couldn't make out what was being said.

I was receiving a prophecy. My head spun, the world was crashing around me until-

I woke up sweating and tangled in the sheets. My breath was heavy and I thought I could feel someone's eyes on me but when I looked around nothing was there.

I slowly lied down again, but it was a long time before I went to sleep- partly because of what had happened on the beach, partly because of my dreams. Either way, in the morning I was really really tired.

* * *

><p>Bleary eyed I ate breakfast and contemplated my dreams. What had they meant? In fact, I was so solely focused on figuring them out (okay that was a lie. I was also thinking about the night at the beach. Sue me. I was being a teenage girl) that I didn't even notice when Ty walked around her table and sat next to me until she said, "Hey there."<p>

I shook my head to clear it. "Uh, hey." I glanced over at Mr. D nervously. "Aren't you supposed to be sitting with your table?"

She grinned at me. "So?"

I laughed nervously. "So shouldn't you be worried about Mr. D?"

She shook her head. "Nah. He won't notice for a few more minutes." Ty leaned her head in, her braids swinging, and rested her elbows on the table. "I want you to talk to Grey."

I shifted uncomfortably. "I know." I didn't meet her gaze. "I'm waiting."

Ty pretended to sullenly look up me, but she was having a hard time trying not to smile. "I swear, I'm going to drag you over there. Or him over here."

"No, that won't be necessary." I said quickly, waving my hands in the universal that's-really-okay gesture. "I'll talk to him after lunch. But, just curious, why exactly do you care so much?"

She eyes dropped and she shrugged her shoulders. "I think maybe you can…I don't know. Help him." Ty tried for her normal grin. "Besides, then he'll have real competition!"

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, okay. I get the point." I glanced over at the Hecate table and saw that Grey was standing up. "I'll go now."

As I followed Grey out of the dining hall my stomach seemed to have just conjured up about fifty centipedes who thought it would be fun to crawl around in my intestines. I gripped my hands into fists and kept moving forward even though I didn't really want to face Grey.

"Hey! Uh, Grey!" I yelled while I picked up the pace. He turned around and looked confused for a moment, but then he just smiled like he was superior.

I gritted my teeth. "I wanted…to ask you if, if you could tell me," I struggled out, "Why you're so _good_ at fighting…"

He stopped and froze. "What?"

"Well you're really good and I don't why and I can't figure it out I mean yeah you're really good with the sword but I feel like it's something else and I really want to know and Ty told me to come over and ask and so here I am!" I rushed out without taking a breath. I blushed.

"Well, Christmas Girl," He smirked, "If you really want to know, you should take a hand-to-hand combat class." Now he looked serious as if giving me advice was important.

I stared at him. "Hand to hand combat?"

"Yeah. Like, martial arts." He ran a hand through his hair. "It helps- a lot."

I thought about all the times he had knocked me off my feet. It started to make sense.

Grey continued to walk towards his cabin.

"Hey!" I called after him. "Why'd you tell me?"

He paused and looked me straight in the eye.

"Because I want to fight with the best." He said simply, though not without a grimace.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah me too." I hesitated. "When do you take the class?"

He looked thoughtful but he finally said, "This afternoon. Meet me at the amphitheater after lunch."

My eyes darted everywhere but Grey. "Thanks, Stink Spells."

He gave what might have been a smile, with no smirk implied.

"Yeah, well, you're welcome Christmas Girl."

I rolled my eyes but I knew that my face was probably a shade of red similar to a tomato, or maybe a fire truck.

"See ya then." I walked back down to my table, feeling anger, pity and something else that I couldn't quite describe, all at once.

* * *

><p><strong>So I am really excited! Finally getting to the good stuff! (well, almost anyways). The prophecy should be up in either the next chapter, or the one after that. I never honestly expected it to be this long but, well, here we are!<strong>


	10. The Past Catches Up With The Present

**Isn't it awesome that it's this far? And I know there are a lot of chapters before the prophecy, but I felt like they were necessary and now we are getting to the good stuff! Yay!**

**-Calypso C.**

**P.S.- Also, I just posted earlier today but I am on a roll so I thought I would go ahead and post another chapter. Your welcome. :D **

* * *

><p>While walking to the Amphitheater I considered a few things.<p>

1. Would Grey try to ambush me? Not totally impossible or unexpected.

2. Would I make a fool of myself? Pretty much guaranteed.

And 3. Did Grey even tell me the truth?

I peeked around the edge of the amphitheater and blushed when I saw Grey standing there by himself. I straightened up and walked towards him, non-spy like.

"Hey." I said awkwardly.

Grey turned around and regarded me with distaste. "You showed."

"Yeah. I did, Stink Spells."

He was standing stiffly. "So we should probably start the class then."

I looked around. "Who's the instructer?"

"I am."

"Oh." I shuffled my feet. "Is there no one else coming?"

He looked at his feet. "Well, hand-to-hand combat isn't exactly a Greek thing, so nobody really takes it."

"Like my duel swords!" I said too loud.

"Yeah, kinda like that, Christmas Girl." Grey said while rolling his eyes. He shifted his feet so his left foot was in front of his right. "Put your left in front. You're a rightie, right?" I nodded.

"Good. Now put all your balance in the balls of your feet." He leaned forward a bit. "And hold your hands like this."

I mimicked his movements, and he showed me how to punch and duck. Then we moved on to kicks, fronts, turns, and roundhouse. By the end of the hour my face was stark red (again) and not just because I was sweaty.

Every time I got a stance wrong, and he would guide my hands to position, _his_ face was red.

We didn't talk much, except for when Grey told me what to do. For almost entire hour we hadn't shouted at each other. I thought it was an improvement.

* * *

><p>"Yeah," I told Ty. "It was pretty awkward." I paused to consider. "But at least we didn't yell at each other."<p>

Ty snorted. "Definitely better than- well, since you've guys have met."

"You mean Monday?" I asked.

She laughed. "Yeah, since Monday." She picked a piece of grass and began lazily playing with it. "It's nice that it doesn't rain here."

I smiled. "Yeah. We can just lay here and do nothing for once!" I put my hands behind my head and laid down. "As much as I love New York, it is kinda nice to have green fields and stuff."

"During the school year I live in Utah." Ty said. "It's mostly in shades of, like, brown and orange and red and yellows. Not a lot of green," She gestured to the grass, "or gray." Ty waved her hands in the general direction of New York City.

"Yeah, I'd-" I stopped mid sentence. Something Ty had said...

"Livvie? What's wrong?" Ty asked, a tone of worry in her voice.

Shades of brown...New York City was gray...

"Olivia?" Ty shook my shoulder. "You okay?"

Athena...what had she said? 'The world isn't painted in black in white but in shades of gray...'

"OLIVIA!" Ty shouted, panicked now. "What is it?"

I shook my head. "Nothing, I'm fine. It's just something..." I trailed off. "I was thinking."

"Whew!" Ty pretended to wipe her hand on her forehead. "You freaked me out there for a second. I though maybe you were in a coma or something!"

I laughed uncomfortably. "No, no. Nothing like that." I paused. "I just...remembered something."

"Oh, okay. What were we talking about?"

* * *

><p>The next Tuesday of that week there was a memorable incident during hand-to-hand combat training with Grey.<p>

"Good job," Grey said after I successfully mastered a perfect tornado kick. "I think..." He gritted his teeth. "That maybe you're good enough to start sparring."

I grabbed a bottle of water and wiped some sweat off my face. "Hey, Stink Spells, how did you learn all this stuff anyways?"

He froze. Then Grey turned towards me and gazed at me with his violet eyes, his jaw set. "I learned before I came," he muttered. "And there was another camper who left who used to teach me."

I perked up. Before he came? "Well, uh, how?" I stuttered awkwardly. "Like, before you were at camp."

"You know what Christmas Girl, let's start training again. That last kick was sloppy." Grey said harshly. Then he came at me with his fist and instinctively I ducked. I dropped to the ground and tried to sweep my leg around but Grey slid to one side and planted a kick in my chest, knocking the wind out of me.

"That's enough for today. Practice more. You're too slow," he said, turning to leave.

I stood up jerkily. "Practice? Practice? Seriously? I've been coming everyday and practicing at least an hour or two outside of class!" I took a few steps forward. "I've only been doing this for three days!"

Grey whipped his head around. "Well you certainly don't look like you have! You're reflexes are slow and you aren't even sweating that much!" he yelled at me.

"Oh, sweaty? You want sweaty? Fine then!" I took the rest of my bottle of water and then poured it on my head. Then I lunged at him kicking like a mad women. I meant to kick him in the gut- I swear. But I kind of accidentally kicked a tad bit lower.

He fell the ground, groaning in pain.

My fists were curled into tight knots and my face was twisted in a snarl.

"Was that good enough, or was it too sloppy?" I stomped out of the amphitheater leaving Grey sitting there by himself.

* * *

><p>The next few days passed by in a blur, with training, eating, nightmares, hanging out with Rigel and Ty and avoiding Grey. I didn't go to hand-to-hand the next day, or the day after that. I skipped on Friday too.<p>

Instead of punching and yelling, and cursing each other, we ignored each other. The frosty silence between us was noticeable and I could tell the entire camp was talking about it. It was great for gossiping. I mean, the First legacy, Daughter of Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, also the girl who shot Grey in the foot and caused the Athena Cabin to stink like skunk, to be mad at Grey?

Very talk-able. Even some of the Roman Campers came through the arch and started talking.

My face was permanently a shade of red and I kept my head down low, at least, I tried too. I still had sword practice every afternoon and the counselor in charge still put Grey and me together. We fought like animals but never said a word and barely made eye contact.

We stalemated three times.

"Olivia, are you gonna tell me what happened?" Rigel asked me Friday before capture the flag.

I shrugged my shoulders and looked at the ground.

"I'll take that as a no," he said. He poked me. "Come on, you can tell me. I didn't make fun of you when you told me how you accidentally spilled Windex over a hydra and it-"

"Okay, okay!" I said quickly. "We just...got into a fight and I kicked him and he fell and now we're mad at each other. End of story."

He play punched me in the shoulder, his blue eyes twinkling. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," I said, "I'm sure." Ty came up from behind us and slung an arm around each of our shoulders.

"Hey guys!" She said while we walked towards the forest. "Excited for capture the flag or what?"

"Yeah, it's gonna be just fantastic," I muttered.

"Come on Livvie," Ty said trying to cheer me up, "You'll probably beat Grey this time."

I half smiled.

"Yeah Livvie, it's gonna be great!" Rigel said. "We are all on your team today! I'll even introduce you to some Roman Campers if you want! They can tell you all about the camp..." He offered, dragging out the word camp.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine." I grabbed a shield and started to put on my armor. "But only because I do think I might actually beat Grey."

As if by magic (which actually wasn't too far fetched) as soon as I said his name Grey walked over to us. "Christmas Girl." He said coldly.

"Stink Spells." I crossed my arms.

"Just so you know-" He began meanly, but he never got to finish.

Chiron cantered up, his eyes wild and panicked and his hair not combed. "Olivia- we have a problem. I need you up at the big house, now," he glanced at me, and then Grey. "Actually, both of you better come."

"But they have capture the flag-" Ty protested. Chiron gave her a hard look.

"Miss Summers, I'm afraid it's very, very important." His tail flickered. "Come on."

Reluctantly I trailed after him, glancing back at Rigel and Ty who put their hands up in a what-are-we-suppose-to-do gesture. I didn't look at Grey.

Finally we reached the porch and followed Chiron through the doorway into the Rec Room. There was a ping pong table in the middle and sitting at the very end was Rachel, whose face was pale.

Chiron motioned for us to sit down. I lowered myself stiffly in a chair next to Rachel. "What's going on?"

Rachel shook her head and took my hand, squeezing it tightly. "I'm so sorry Livvie. I didn't think-"

"Rachel," Chiron interrupted, "Let's start from the beginning." He looked at Grey and me. "Do you both know the story of the second Titian War?"

I nodded and leaned forward in my seat.

"Well, your father," Chiron said towards me, "was offered Pandora's Pithos by Prometheus. It contained hope and Prometheus said that if he wanted to surrender all he had to do was let hope out. Eventually he gave it to Hestia."

I raised my hand half way. "Uh, Chiron, what do you mean by 'contained'? As in past tense?"

Grey's eyes widened as if he understood something that I didn't.

Rachel looked at me. "It's gone. Somebody has let hope out of Pandora's Box."

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><p><strong>Well, what do you think? R&amp;R please!<strong>


	11. Grey Gets Mad, Part One

**Hey. So sorry for disappearing off the face of the planet for a while. :D The problem is I lost this chapter and chapters 13 through 16 and I never really got my momentum back. But now I have! So…yay! **

**-Calypso C. **

"What?" I jumped up out of my seat. "That's impossible. My dad gave it to Hestia for safe keeping!"

Chiron shifted while Grey froze in his seat. "I know Olivia. But that just means that whoever took it and let hope out is strong enough to overtake Hestia, a goddess. "

Grey shook his head slowly. "This is bad. Really bad. But even so, what do we have to do with it?"

Rachel started sobbing. "I'm so sorry Olivia! We should have told someone—we should've—"

"Now, now Rachel," Chiron said quietly. "Let's start from the beginning." He looked at me and then Grey.

"About eleven years ago, before you were born Olivia, Rachel gave a prophecy. I was the only one who heard it and as soon as she came out of her Oracle state I told her exactly what she had said. We didn't tell anyone, we thought it would just be messing with fate and make things worse. Besides, what were the chances it was about Percy and Annabeth's child? They might not even have a daughter." Chiron sighed.

"Then, when you were born and they named you Olivia…we still didn't tell anybody. It could still not be about you, it could be about another Athena child. We hoped that it wouldn't happen in your lifetime Olivia. We really did. We prayed. But…"

"Now it's too late," Grey said softly, almost sounding like he had feelings. "It's happening."

I looked at Rachel, confused. "Wait…what's the prophecy?"

She gulped and took a deep breath. Then she began to chant.

_"__Four of olive, spell, wheat and bow, _

_To survive, Mane and Beak must end their row, _

_You must be back in time or all will be lost, _

_Olive must give her life, that is the cost,_

_The quest to save man's last chance, _

_Save her from the mother's trance,_

_Omega and Alpha must unite, _

_The latter not knowing, they will win the fight."_

Time seemed to slow down around me. Everything was moving in slow motion as the prophecy chugged slowly through my brain.

For a few precious seconds I didn't register what the words meant. Then it hit me.

I had to die.

My blood ran cold and I barely noticed that Grey looked sick to the stomach.

"Are you- are you sure that's it?" I choked out. "There's not, like, a mistake or anything? There could be a mistake, right?"

Chiron shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry Olivia."

"But how do you know it's even Christmas G- I mean, Olivia? It could be another Athena daughter," Grey said.

"Grey, think about it. Olive? You and I both know that's what Olivia's name means," Chiron said gently. "And the fact that it was her dad's gift, well, that just seems all the more likely."

Rachel's tears slowly stopped and she sniffed. "You're going to have to go on the quest. I'm so sorry, Olivia. I really am."

Chiron nodded. "She's right. This person or god or spirit let hope out of its box. That is very, very, very bad. Without hope nobody will do…anything. Everybody will just give up, lose the incentive to live."

"We have to go find hope," Grey said, a little dazed. "We can always find hope."

I ignored Grey and gulped. "What would I do? If I go on the quest, how do I even find hope and put it back in its box? Or pithos or whatever."

"I don't know," Rachel said. "I don't know."

"But we know someone who might. Hestia can probably help you and get you started." Chiron looked at Grey. "And you are going to need to pick your companions."

I looked down at my hands. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I was terrified. Not of the quest so much…but of myself.

I couldn't stop wishing that I wasn't the one in the prophecy. That I wasn't the one who was going to die. How could I be so selfish, to want someone else to die in my place?

I didn't know, if it came down to it, if I would give up my life, willingly, to get hope back. I didn't know if I was brave enough. I didn't know if I could do it.

Both my parents bravely fought during the war, risking everything to save the world. My dad was willing to give up his life.

But I didn't know if I could give up mine. And that's what scared me the most.

"And that's why I brought Grey with us," Chiron continued, interrupting my thoughts. "I think it is obvious, especially after last week's…display, of magic, that he is the spell in the prophecy. You are obviously the olive, which leaves wheat and bow. You can choose the other two companions…as long as they fit the prophecy."

"Ty and Rigel," I said slowly, still trying to wrap my brain around the prophecy. "It makes perfect sense."

Chiron nodded sadly. "Indeed. That is what I was thinking, and—"

"No." Grey crossed his arms and looked Chiron in the eye. "Ty is awesome and everything; she'll be a great help. But I don't think Rigel should come."

My blood started to boil. Again. "Well it's not your choice. So it doesn't matter. Wheat for Demeter and bow for Apollo. It makes sense, you idiot."

"But he's so inexperienced with stuff like healing!" Grey yelled at me, standing up and leaning over the table. "We need someone whose better at it, has had more practice-"

"Oh, like YOU?" I pushed my chair back with a thump. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! What do you want? Some senior in high school that we BARELY KNOW?"

"YES!" he bellowed. "THAT'S WOULD BE GREAT!"

"Olivia! Grey!" Chiron knocked his foot against the ping pong table. "What has gotten into you two? This is not the time to be fighting."

I looked down at the table. "Sorry," I muttered.

"Grey, Rigel is coming. I'm sorry, but Olivia is the leader of this quest— not you." Chiron sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Why don't you go get Ty and Rigel?"

Grey muttered something too low for me to hear and stormed out of the room. I heard what sounded suspiciously like a fist hitting the wall. Hard.

Served him right.

After Grey had gone I collapsed back in my chair, suddenly exhausted. Rachel, through her swollen, red eyes, looked like she was about to laugh.

"Man, does that bring me back to the past," she said while patting me on the shoulder. She sighed. "Well, I'm going to go take a nap. Maybe I'll see something in a dream."

When she left it was just me and Chiron.

"You'll need to talk to Mr. D before you go. You have to get permission."

"Oh," I said . "Yay."

"After you finish, come back and talk with me. There's something I want to give you." Chiron walked over to the side of the room and starting sorted through some papers. I took that as my cue to leave.

* * *

><p>"Uh, Mr. D?" I stared at the heavy set man in a bright orange tiger striped shirt sitting on the porch playing pinochle with invisible opponents. He barely looked up from his game, just giving me a tiny nod.<p>

"Well, as I'm sure you know, uh, hope has kinda been let out of Pandora's Pithos." I shuffled my feet.

""Kinda" or it has?" He cursed as stared at the cards on the table. "Stupid satyr."

"Ummm, it has." I avoided eye contact. "And I need your permission to lead a quest to find it. There's already been a prophecy and—"

"I know all about the prophecy. Sit down." Mr. D snapped his fingers and a chair appeared out of thin air. I nervously sat down.

"Your father was one of the stupidest demigods I ever had the privilege to meet. He was truly a spectacular idiot." He took a sip of diet coke and looked at me expectantly.

"Ummm, thank you?"

"You're not welcome," he said as he dealt what looked like another hand. "Your mother on the other hand…annoying little brat, that Annie Bell. Always so smart and clever," he huffed. "Occasionally your father didn't screw things up too badly, you know. But your mother was always fixing things for him."

"Ah yes, she likes to mention that," I informed him.

He snorted and seemed to find it amusing. "Haven't changed a bit then. Anyways, as I'm sure your father's told you, I do not like heroes."

I nodded. "He might have mentioned it…once or twice." More like three billion.

"Your father is a terrible influence, did you know? Always rushing off and risking everything to save his friends. I hope that's not your flaw." He slurped more of his diet coke. "As I was saying, for once, your father wasn't like a typical hero. Actually managed to save his friends and the world."

"Yeah." I twisted my hands together. "He did."

"You aren't really like your father. Or your mother. You're a lot less confident," Mr. D said matter-of-factly.

I didn't say anything.

"I'm going to allow you to go on this quest. Mostly because I would prefer not to have my existence being risked for the third time in the past twenty-five years." He snapped his fingers again and my chair dumped me out of my seat.

"I'd just like you to know, Ollie, that there is a chance that you might not fail. If your father could do it anybody should be able to." He waved his hand. "And consider this my parting gift. Trust me, you won't be having any dreams tonight."

With that he disappeared and I closed my eyes as he started to glow. All of sudden my brain was clear and I could barely remember what it felt like to worry. Through my meeting with Chiron I practically sleep walked. I didn't feel like myself.

But that night, for the first night since I had come to camp, I didn't have any dreams at all. Bad or otherwise. Just a peaceful night of much needed sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>So did you like it? How was the prophecy? And I promise I'll do my best to try to post every week again. :D R&amp;R please! <strong>


	12. An Incredibly Detailed Foolproof Plan

**I hope you like this chapter! (Sorry for all the delays!)**

**-Calypso C.**

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><p>Dawn broke over the horizon, but I certainly wasn't up to watch. Instead the sun came through the window and I rubbed my eyes and realized I had actually gotten a good night's sleep, which hadn't happened since I had come to camp.<p>

Almost as soon as I was consciously awake, a knock sounded on the door. I groggily got up and felt my way towards the door. I was sure I could hear Ty's excited squeal on the other side.

"Olivia! Come on- come on- we have to-" She stopped talking abruptly. "Why are your still wearing your PJ's?"

I rubbed my eyes and yawned. "Wha?"

Ty frowned. "Livvie, we're suppose to leave at dawn!" Seeing my blank face she added, "For the quest! Grey came and told us and you're the leader!" My head snapped up. Why had no one told me we were leaving this early? I glanced around the cabin to make sure none of my half-cousins had been woken up by our conversation.

"Sorry!" I said. "I didn't know. I'll be out in a sec!" Giving Ty a weak smile I closed the door and rushed back to my bunk, quietly packing a bag. To be honest, I think I just shoved whatever was on the top of my trunk. I quickly changed and brushed my teeth and hair, then went outside to meet Ty on the porch. She started chattering about the quest.

"It's my first one! I know it's going to be dangerous- and Grey seemed really worried -but, well, I'm excited." She jumped up and down a little.

"Gee," I said sarcastically. "Ya think?" We started to climb up the hill to Thalia's Pine Tree and I remembered seeing the camp for the first time. It seemed like so long ago.

At the top of the hill one of the kitchen harpies was waiting for us, along with Grey and Rigel. Neither seemed too pleased with their current company. Rigel was standing closest the pine tree, and Grey was on the complete other side of the hill. The harpy was in the middle and seemed to be enjoying scaring the boys.

"Chiron just left," Rigel told me while running a hand through his blonde hair, "He said Mrs. Fabers would take us where we needed to go." He looked nervously at the harpy. I could see why they would be slightly intimidated.

The harpy was like a women, except extremely wrinkled and she had talons for feet and was very repulsive. Briefly my ADHD brain wondered who her husband was, and if there were such things as male harpies.

I nodded. "Sorry for being late," I blushed a bit, "I didn't know we were leaving so early." Rigel waved his hand in the air.

"No big deal," He said while all four of us, plus Mrs. Fabers, walked down the hill to a white van parked on the road. We piled into the van, Ty and I sitting in the front and the boys in the back.

I leaned forward in my seat. "Hey, uh, Mrs. Fabers? Could you take us to the Empire State Building?" She nodded but didn't say anything and pressed down on the gas pedal so hard my head snapped back against the seat.

Grey grabbed hold of the back of a seat while we zoomed down the road, probably thirty or so miles over the speed limit. "Why are we going to the Empire State Building, Christmas Girl?" he said mockingly.

Rigel and Ty turned towards me. I opened up my bag and dug around through the mess. "Well, you see, Chiron had an idea of where to start..." I paused as I pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment and untied the orange ribbon that held it together. "My mother, Athena, gave it to the camp a while back, and he thought we could use it."

The map unfurled itself and Ty gasped. The colors were so vivid it was clearer than a satellite image. We could see a tiny white van driving down a road and little black lines, like those on treasure maps, leading us towards the Empire State Building.

Rigel leaned in closer. "What does it do? Will it tell us where to find Hope?"

"Well," I said, "That's the thing about this map. It'll show you where to go- but, well, in return for showing you the way it takes you on the hardest most difficult path possible." Grey leaned in closer for a better look.

"I'll also only show you one step at a time, and sometimes there's a riddle involved," I continued. "But it was either blindly go off searching, or this."

Grey snorted. "Definitely Athena then." I ignored him.

"Hey," Rigel smiled, "At least we have a good start."

The van swerved to avoid an oncoming truck and I realized we had been driving on the wrong side of the road. I yelped.

"Is this part of the map's doing?" Rigel asked, trying to stay calm.

I clutched the armrest of my seat so hard my knuckles turned white. "I don't think so- ah!"

Mrs. Fabers ran through a red light and honks sounded all around us. We missed a car by about an inch and Grey's face was looking green. I was about to open my mouth to tell him exactly who was green now, but we hit the curve and didn't really want to bite my tongue off.

Ty looked at me nervously. "I thought harpies could drive!"

I nodded. After we ran through three more stoplights, hit two more curves and continued to bounce around like we were driving on a trampoline, I stopped looking out the window.

Finally we hit downtown Manhattan and got stuck in traffic, which I never though I would be grateful for. Everybody but Mrs. Fabers unclenched their fists from the armrests and slouched down in their seat, sighing. Mrs. Fabers just looked annoyed.

"So what are we going to do?" Rigel asked, now that we were in danger of veering off the side of the road into a tree or biting our tongues off.

"What?" I said. "We're going to visit Hestia."

"Yeah," Grey rolled his eyes, "We know that." I noticed he said_ we_ with considerable distaste. "But specifically. We can't just storm up on Olympus. I don't know about you but I don't want to get blown to ashes."

"Please," I scoffed, "We won't get blown to ashes." I mean, my dad had rudely barged in on the gods more times anybody could ever possible count and he was still alive and kicking.

Ty glanced at us nervously. "But it couldn't hurt to have a backup plan, right?"

I sighed. "Yeah. It probably wouldn't." I clapped my hands together. "Alright. Suggestions?"

Silence. A horn blared and we started moving again, although within the speed limit this time.

More silence.

"Um," Ty said awkwardly, "We could cross our fingers and hope for the best?"

Rigel looked at us. "All in favor raise their hand," he said, only half joking.

We all raised our hands.

I let out a breath of air. "Well then." I curled up the map and slid it back into my backpack. "That's settled. Great planning everybody."

Grey snorted. "I'm glad we work together so well. So when there's something easy, like fighting a monster or an evil rebel god, we know we'll be absolutely fine in the planning department."

We were saved responding to that bit of sarcasm that was actually pretty much true because we had finally pulled up to the Empire State Building.

The four of us got out of the car and Mrs. Fabers took off as soon as the doors were closed. I thought she looked remarkably like a devil woman, honking at cars in front of her who wouldn't let her do ninety, when I realized that she was a monster.

Ty went ahead of us and entered the lobby. I took a deep breath, wondering what Hestia would tell us and whether or not the elevator had better music than my dad said it did, and followed Ty.


	13. Six Months to Save the World

**So I'm really starting to get back on track! I hope you enjoy this chapter…I'm getting really excited for the next few ones and what I have planned!**

**-Calypso C.**

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><p>The ride up Mount Olympus proved uneventful. The security guard let us up without hesitation and the music wasn't nearly as bad as my dad said it was. Sure, it was from twenty years ago, but really, someone singing about being born the way you are wasn't so bad.<p>

None of us talked on the elevator, but as soon as the doors opened and we all tumbled out, we couldn't talk. We were too busy staring at the five ton rock that was floating above the middle of Manhattan.

I was the first to start feeling dizzy, leaning and swaying at the giant drop below us. I clutched my stomach and promptly hurled over the side of the walkway. I hoped nobody was hit.

Grey looked like he was about to say something, but decided against it at the last minute.

Walking up the stone walkway with the palace of the gods looming over you, it's hard not to feel a little nervous. My stomach wasn't churning exclusively from the height. Just, you know, mostly.

None of us were quite sure where to go. Where would Hestia be? In the palace, even though she didn't have a throne? In one of her temples? But where were they? And which one?

At that moment I really, _really_ hated our terrible planning skills. Seriously. I'm supposed to be the granddaughter of a master strategic brainiac.

Luckily for us Ty called out, "Hey, wait a moment- isn't that Hestia?" She pointed off the side of the paved road near one of the plainer temples.

I nodded while ignoring the butterflies in my stomach that decided they wanted to go on a stampede. Could butterflies even go on a stampede? I shook my head at the thought.

The four of us headed towards the little girl dressed in a plain dress and as we got closer I could see the fire in her eyes. It was warm, though. Welcoming.

Not saying anything Hestia led us towards a plain, low set temple made of white marble. As we gathered inside we sat around the soft flames flickering in the middle, seeming to burn without fuel or smoke.

Hestia sat down across from me. "Olivia Jackson," she said. "I've waited for this day."

Ty gave me an encouraging glance.

"You have?" I held out my hands over the fire, purely for something to do. "Well, I guess you know all about the prophecy and stuff."

A smile tugged at the side of her mouth but then quickly faded away. "Yes, I do know of the prophecy."

Rigel looked at me. "You never told us about the prophecy." He looked hurt.

Grey glared at Rigel. "Maybe it's none of your business."

"Maybe it is because I'm on this quest too!" Rigel said, now sounding angry.

"Maybe it isn't because you weren't at the meeting. If Chiron had wanted you—"

Rigel whipped around to me. "He knows?" he accused angrily.

I held up my hands defensively. Before I say anything Hestia interrupted our conversation.

"You do not need to know as of now. If Olivia wants to tell you, she will." She sent Rigel a look. He started to calm down. "There are more important matters. Hope is lost, and you will have to find it and return it to its pithos."

I nodded. "We do know that. But how?"

"The map will guide you. But I assume you all know the story of Pandora?" We all nodded and she continued. "When she opened the pithos, there were eight things inside, called atuxias. Seven flew out, plaguing mankind. One stayed inside. That was hope."

"Death, illness, greed, revenge, hubris, famine and drought, and hate," I recited. "Those were the seven things."

Ty frowned. "I know my math skills aren't great, but isn't that eight?"

"Famine and drought are one," I said. Hestia nodded.

"To retrieve the atuxias you will need to collect a relic from each," Hestia said. "Once you find these and put them back in the pithos hope will return to it and to everybody."

Grey looked thoughtful. "And just how much time do we have? When do people start to just…lose hope?"

Hestia's expression darkened. "You have until the Winter Solstice, that darkest day of the year. Without hope…mankind, and the gods, will not pull through. It will continually get worse until then, but that is your last and final chance."

"Six months," I said blankly. "Six months."

Hestia nodded. "And I'm afraid that's all I can tell you. That map will show you the way."

And before any of us could ask another question she started to turn golden and we all shut our eyes. When we opened them we found the fire gone and the temple dark.

* * *

><p>Out on the pathway back the elevator I contemplated what Hestia had told us. What was a "relic" of greed? Big piles of money not earned honestly? And death and famine and drought…a relic wouldn't be…a dead body, would it?. I started to panic. A DEAD BODY?<p>

"Olivia!" Ty put a hand on my shoulder. "What's a dead body? There's no dead bodies."

I must have been thinking out loud. "What if…" I hesitated. "What if a relic of death…is a dead body?"

Everybody froze. Ty face was uneasy and her eyebrows furrowed together.

"I mean, it probably won't be," Ty said slowly. "Probably not."

"And if it is, I'll handle it," Rigel offered grimly. "When you're healing people you can't be squeamish about this kind of stuff." Despite that he kind of looked green in the face.

Without thinking about it I looked over to Grey, to see his take on the matter. His jaw was clenched tight and he looking in the distance at something only he could see. For some reason I decided to let him be.

We started to walk again and stepped into the elevator. The doors closed and I awkwardly leaned against the back wall, hoping that Rigel wouldn't bring up the prophecy.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Rigel asked. "This whole quest revolves around the prophecy. We need to know."

I shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know, it's really not that big of a deal. You know all about the quest and stuff."

Ty looked at me with knowing eyes. "You know, it's okay. I understand. You don't have to tell us if you don't want to."

Rigel still looked hurt. "But _he_ knows."

Grey was turned around, faced away from the rest of us, but from what I could see of his face, he still had that look. "If she doesn't want to tell you, than she shouldn't have to. If you're her friend you won't press it," he said to the elevator wall.

Ty, Rigel and I all paused. Grey didn't seem to notice, or he didn't care, because he didn't turn around or keep talking.

I guess that was one of the first times we had ever heard him…try and resolve an argument. He didn't even raise his voice or add sarcasm. In fact, his normal personality seemed kind of muted. But hey, who was I to complain?

Rigel nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed you." He looked at me apologetically. "I'm just worried about all of us being safe and you know, saving the world."

For some reason Ty and I started giggling uncontrollably and Rigel started to laugh too. I'm not sure what was so funny, but whatever the reason, it felt good. Normal. Like the world before last night.

And it wasn't until we stepped off the elevator into the lobby, still laughing, that I realized Grey hadn't joined in. He hadn't rolled his eyes, or sighed or said something to discourage us.

He'd just stood there, gazing at the elevator wall with haunted eyes.


	14. Grey Gets Mad, Part Two

**I was going to originally post this chapter Sunday or Monday, but I'm leaving for the mountains tomorrow so I went ahead and finished it and edited it. So...here it is. :P**

**So, side note here. Yesterday I was putting on my sneaker and guess what I found inside? A piece of popcorn! I have no idea how that got in there, but when I told one of my friends this, this is what he said. "How did it taste?"...yup. That pretty much sums up who I hang out with. :D Anyways, read on!**

**-Calypso C.**

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><p>We stood surrounded by marble and columns and people rushing to a fro and yelling and screaming and whistles and steam. After we had stepped out of the Empire State Building we consulted the map and it directed us to Grand Central Station, right in the middle of lunch break.<p>

It had led us down to the giant train station, and then it went blank except for a cryptic four lined riddle. I'd been studying the riddle a couple minutes, but I hadn't solved it yet.

"Guys," I said as I looked up from the map. "I'm not sure—" I broke off as I saw Grey standing off to the side, staring at the trains with empty eyes. I looked at Ty bewildered, but she seemed just as confused.

Rigel stuck his hands in his pockets and looked over my shoulder at the map. "Gotten anywhere?"

I wanted to bring the issue of Grey's behavior up but I felt like maybe it wasn't the right time (or person, for that matter).

"I don't know. I feel like I'm missing something." I shook my head, sending my curls bouncing. "The last line means a train, I think."

"You could try reading it out loud," Ty suggested. "Sometimes that helps."

I nodded. Why not? It was worth a shot.

"_I have two hands but cannot feel,_

_I always spin and spin and never stop,_

_The answer is right and three,_

_Try it catch it before it leaves._"

"You know," Rigel noted. "The map can't rhyme very well."

I rolled my eyes and leaned against one of the huge staircases that led down into the main train station. "I keep thinking I have it…and then it just slips away."

Ty stood there, thinking. "Right and three…does it mean, like, right and left? Or right and wrong?"

I shrugged hopelessly and looked out at the crowds. There was a woman pulling a grey suitcase. A little girl eating a lollipop. A man buying a ticket for a train.

I jerked up. "That's it!" I turned to Rigel and Ty and grinned. "I've got it, come on!" I practically shoved my way to the ticket booth, above which the times were that trains left. I scanned the board, looking, looking…

"Livvie, what is it? What's the answer?" Ty looked up in confusion. "Numbers?"

"No, no," I said. "It's a clock!" I motioned with my hands in the air. "It has two hands and it always spins!"

Rigel frowned. "Well, that works for the first part of the riddle but…wait, what was that last line? About catching something before it leaves?"

I nodded excitedly. "Right and three! The hands of a clock can make a right triangle, and the three must mean that one of the hands is on that number!"

"It's giving us the time the train we should take is leaving!" Ty did a face palm. "Of course!"

I quickly scanned the boards again. There weren't too many options for times, but what would I do if there were two that fit?

"That's it," I said suddenly, dead certain. "Twelve fifteen. The train we need leaves at twelve fifteen."

Ty checked her watch. "That's in ten minutes!"

"Train number one oh eight." I quickly purchased the tickets with some of the mortal money we'd gotten before we'd left camp. "Let's go."

Ty, Rigel and I all started to walk towards the train track when I stopped. "Grey! We forgot about Grey!"

"I'll go get him," Ty said. She ran off through the crowd, going back to the spot where we last saw him, leaving me and Rigel alone.

He grinned at me, his blue eyes twinkling. "Nice work with the riddle. As soon as you figured it out it suddenly seemed really obvious."

"Thanks," I said sheepishly. "It just…came to me, you know?"

Rigel nodded his head. "Yeah." There was a silence and he looked like he was about to say something when Ty reappeared dragging Grey behind her.

"Come on, let's go! The train's leaving soon!" Ty said, stopping in front of us with Grey. As we pushed and shoved our way through the crowds I noticed that Grey still seemed…muted. By the time we made it to the train I was beginning to get really worried.

I mean, I didn't _miss_ the screaming and yelling and fighting. But it just felt like something seriously wrong.

We stepped onto the train and sat down in one of the compartments, none of us talking.

Ty, Rigel and I all shifted uncomfortably, but Grey was once again seeing things that we couldn't. He stared out the window, almost looking sad. I would never be sure because in the next moment he mumbled something like, "Excuse me, bathroom," and walked out of the compartment.

But I could have sworn that I saw his eyes grow wet and a tear slip down his cheek.

I never thought I'd think this, but I kind of missed the old Grey.

* * *

><p>Eventually Grey came back and we all decided to go to the dining car, because all of us were starving.<p>

I sat down next to Ty, leaving the two boys to sit across from us. We ordered drinks, and not wanting another awkward silence, Ty started up a conversation.

"You know," she said. "I've never ridden on a train before. It's kind of fun, isn't it?"

I shrugged. "I've ridden the subway plenty of times, but not a longer train ride before."

Rigel laughed. "It kind of reminds me of being on a boat. The rocking feeling," he added at my skeptical look. It was absolutely nothing like being on a boat. A boat swayed in the waves and the wind, and I could smell the sea salt. Here, all I could smell was people who didn't take enough baths. (Probably us.)

"So, Grey," I said, trying to make him say something and maybe snap out of this repressive state. For some reason Grey crying really freaked me out. "Have you ever ridden on a train before? Like, not the subway?"

His fingers gripped the side of the table. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh, come on," I said playfully. "It's just a train. What's so bad about trains?"

"I. Don't. Want. To. Talk. About. It."

"Grey—" I started but I never got to finish.

"JUST SHUT UP!" Grey sprang up from his seat, his violet eyes dangerously bright. His hands were clenched into tight fists. "You don't know anything, _anything_, about trains!"

I stood up, confused. "What are you talking about? It's a train!"

"It's not just a train," he growled at me. "And you're the single most stupid annoying person on the face of the Earth, Christmas Girl!"

I opened my mouth in shock at the change of the conversation. The fact that the other passengers were staring at us didn't even bother me. I was so entirely fed up with his constant moodiness. His need to take everything out on me. How I was to blame for everything and how he hated me, without any real justification. "ME? What about you, Stink Smoke? One moment we're talking about trains and the next—"

Our yelling started to overlap.

"You just take everything—"

"You're insulting me! I did—"

"And you think that life is just always gonna be—"

"Just decide already! Be a silent jerk or a loud one—"

And then, before I knew what was happening I lunged at Grey and punched him in the stomach and he retaliated by kicking me in the leg. We started punching and grabbing and fighting, rolling around on the train's narrow compartment floor and at one point I felt blood but I didn't know if it was mine or his.

Then Ty was pulling me and Rigel was pulling Grey and the train attendants were yelling at us and people were shouting and to be honest, I wasn't really paying anything much attention.

Our breathing was ragged and out of time, and he looked at me with violet eyes full of absolute loathing. Through clenched teeth and a snarl he hissed, "I used to hate this person so much, I literally almost killed them. I hated them with all my being. And you know? You've topped them. _I hate you_."

My blood was on fire, my head was beginning to ache and the screaming around me was piercing my eardrums. For a second I felt something like hurt, but I refused to acknowledge it. I looked into his eyes, still being restrained by Ty, and with all the venom I could muster I spat out, "The world would be better off with you dead. You don't deserve any of it."

He looked at me blankly for a moment, before breaking free of Rigel's grip and storming down the compartment, leaving me covered in blood and wondering the implications of what I just did.


	15. My Brain Turns Off

**Hope you enjoy the new chapter. :D**

**-Calypso C. **

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><p>Ty yelled after him, screamed his name, but he didn't stop. Ty turned to me, livid as I had never seen her before, but before she could start yelling (which was hard to imagine) a train attendant beat her to the punch.<p>

I didn't really listen to what he was saying; all I knew was this feeling of an incurable rage. It pounded through my forehead and I just wanted to scream and stomp, punch a few things and maybe kill a few monsters.

I was dragged to a different compartment, where Ty proceeded to say, "I don't know what that was, but it was _stupid_!" and chased after him.

Rigel was left alone with me, but the absolute silence in the train car indicated that he wasn't talking to me either. I sat back, crossed my arms over my chest, and steamed.

The nerve of him. Every time we had fought suddenly returned to my mind and I wondered why I had ever felt sorry for him.

My fingernails scraped the seat of the fabric when I realized it was me who was bleeding. There was a long, fairly deep scratch down the length of my right arm and I just kind of stared at it, uncomprehending. Then I realized that he must have caused it and I almost stormed after him.

"Let me get that," Rigel said in a neutral tone. He dug out a first aid kit from his backpack and wiped it down with antiseptic and then bandaged it up.

As he wrapped the roll around my arm he said, "You shouldn't have done that."

"He shouldn't have said those things!" I replied angrily. "Whose side are you on anyways?"

He looked at me. "I'm on the side that's on a quest to save humanity."

It was like a slap in the face. Despite my feelings about that stupid, idiotic, crabby boy I couldn't help but feel guilty. I was supposed to be on a quest to rescue hope, and what had I done?

Gotten in a fight with him and possibly risked the entire quest.

I didn't say anything more and neither did Rigel, so I just stared out the window until eventually Ty came back. She didn't say anything either.

After what seemed like forever the train pulled up to a station in the middle of nowhere, and I rushed off the suddenly too tiny train. The first thing I did was kick one of the benches lining the platform.

"ARRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!" I screamed as loud as possible to the sky. I collapsed on the bench and gripped my head in my hands.

Before today the words "I hate you" had seemed childish and not capable of hurting anybody. They just seemed silly, something I would say when I was seven and thought the s-word was stupid.

But now, even if I didn't want to admit it, those words couldn't stop replaying over and over again in my mind. It was like they were physically beating me on the head and all I saw was the look on his face, like he truly did hate me.

And then there was what I said to him. Did I really wish he was dead? I didn't think so. The more I thought about it the more the guilt Rigel had already conjured up washed over my brain.

In fact, I was almost back to some logical reasoning when I caught sight of him. His brown hair and violet eyes. Something akin to murder was on his face and almost instantly my blood ran boiling hot and I once again longed for his death.

I deliberately turned my back on him, and stared at the concrete beam as if I was studying a very interesting picture in a museum.

That was my mistake.

He must have walked down the other side of the platform, probably still furious or mad or hateful or crying or whatever other emotion he shouldn't have been able to feel, because when Ty came over with a frown on her face she didn't say anything about seeing him.

"You two are unbearable." She crossed her arms and I avoided her gaze. "That was so—so idiotic!" Ty threw her hands up in the hair. "Why don't you two get along? I just don't understand it."

I furiously opened my mouth, about to yell something obscene, no doubt, when I was interrupted by a scream that ripped through the air.

Both of us whirled around, searching for the source of the scream. My heart rate started to pick up as Ty and I shoved through the crowds until we neared the other end of the station. By the time we got there more and more screams had started, coming together in an unearthly chorus.

All at once my blood froze, turning cold instead of red hot. Because at the edge of the platform, where past that I couldn't see anything but the seemingly deserted back roads, were part wolf, part monkey, part human things dragging somebody off into the woods.

A somebody with brown hair and violet eyes.

"Grey," Ty whispered. "They've got—Grey."

Even as I stood there, mouth open and gaping, the monsters with him disappeared into the woods.

Without thinking about anything, I lunged forward off the platform, keeping my gaze locked on their disappearing bodies. "Grey!" I cried out desperately. "GREY!" I stumbled through the overgrown grass and steady myself with my arms. "NO—STOP! GREY!" My voice cracked and at some point I think I crumpled to the ground. A dark skinned hand rested on my shoulder. Ty.

"Olivia," she said, obviously close to tears herself. "This isn't helping." She bit her lip. "We need to—to think of a plan. To save him."

I swallowed and furiously brushed the tears out of my eyes. Using Ty's arms to help me stand up I walked back to the platform. I pulled myself back up and Rigel gently took the map out of the backpack.

As Ty and Rigel opened the map I stared at my feet. What had I done? What had I done? What had I done?

Panic was starting to bloom in my chest and my breathing was becoming labored. I quickly realized that I couldn't possibly try to analyze these useless emotions running through my brain and operate at the same time.

So I slowly took some deep breaths until I blocked them out. I would not think about my feelings. I would not think about Grey. I would not think about what this made me feel. I would not.

"Those were Chromandae," I said flatly. "They're a tribe of wolf-like people who can't talk, only scream. They're fast, bloodthirsty and will eat…anything."

Ty's face paled a bit.

Officially setting my brain on autopilot I looked over at the map. It was blank. Completely blank.

"Well," I deadpanned, "we're going to have to do this the old fashioned way."

I jumped off the train platform again and started to trek back towards the woods.

* * *

><p>It was completely silent except for our footsteps in the woods, as we stepped on branches and leaves. The trail the Chromandae had left was easy to track and follow, the only problem being that they obviously moved much faster than we did.<p>

We had no idea where we were, which direction we were going, or even what we were going to do. That might have accounted for the lack of conversation. Or maybe that I just wasn't thinking about anything. Or trying to. But at some point Rigel spoke up.

"How did you know the Chromandae?" He pulled down a branch to walk past. "Just off the top of your head?"

I shrugged. "In addition to regular school my siblings and I were taught demigod stuff. Which included the study of monsters."

Ty sighed. "That would have been so helpful. My parents don't even know I'm a demigod."

Even though I was trying to kill any emotions inside of me, I looked at Ty with surprise. "Your parents? As in, plural? And they don't know?"

She blushed and ducked under a low hanging branch. "Yeah, I'm adopted. They think it's a summer camp for gifted kids."

Rigel gave a short laugh. "Well, you're certainly gifted. I'm thinking just not in the standardized test kind of way."

Ty gave a rueful smile. "Not exactly," she agreed.

Our talking faded to the sound of birds chirping in the trees and I began to hear the sounds of motors. I burst into a run and came out on the side of a decently busy highway. Across from us was a gas station, with an old truck parked on the side.

Without waiting for Ty or Rigel I crossed the street and dashed over to the car. I pulled open the hood and began to hotwire the car.

"Ummm," Rigel coughed. "Isn't that kind of…illegal?"

"Yeah," I said, concentrating on the wires. "So?"

Ty and Rigel shared a look.

"I'll drive," she offered. "I used to drive the truck back home."

The truck was old and the inside had quite a lot of duct tape, but I wasn't very picky at the moment. As we pulled out of the gas station we realized we didn't know which way to go. I looked down both sides of the highway.

"Left," I said with certainty. "See all those broken branches?"

So we turned left. Rigel kept lookout for more tracks while I leaned back against the seat and Ty drove.

By some amount of luck the truck had two full tanks of gas, but after hours of driving it was starting to get low. Frankly, I was surprised we hadn't gotten pulled over. Ty was obviously not sixteen.

Then, after what felt like days, the path just…ended.

"What do we do now?" Ty asked. She slumped back on the seat helplessly.

I kicked the dashboard. "I don't know."

"I do," Rigel said quietly. "Listen."

And we did. In the distance we could just make out screams- both human and Chromandae.

Another hour of navigating via echolocation and we entered a town called Michigan City.

"Aren't we in Indiana?" I said, still trying to distract my wandering mind.

Ty gave a half hearted snort. "Yeah. "

A few more blocks and we pulled up on a beach, behind a conveniently placed rock. The house was dank and muddy from years by the lake. I was glad we were so near a big water source. It comforted me a little.

I slid out of the truck and undid the bracelet from around my wrist. "We're coming Grey," I whispered softly.

"We're coming," I promised.


	16. I Get Kissed In A Basement

"Look," Ty whispered was she pointed towards the house. "There's storm cellar right over there. We can probably go through it and end up in the house."

Right as she finished speaking a blood curdling scream came from the house. And it wasn't the Chromandae.

I took a deep breath. "Okay. Everybody ready?"

Rigel and Ty nodded and we crept towards the storm cellar entrance.

"They don't have a very good sense of smell or hearing, but their eyesight is superb," I whispered. "So we should stay out of sight for as long as possible."

Rigel nodded and counted, "One, two, three," before carefully opened the storm cellar door. It slowly creaked open on its hinges and Ty winced at the sound.

As we crept into the dilapidated lake house we were careful to tread lightly, around the cobwebs, old trunks, lamps, and furniture the littered the storm cellar of the house. After a few minutes of searching Ty tapped my shoulder and pointed to the staircase.

We gathered at the bottom. For half a minute we stood around, waiting silently, and I knew that whole not-being-able-to-plan thing was really biting us in the butt.

"Why don't we…" I trailed off.

"Why doesn't Ty go up first, then Olivia, then me, because I'm more of a long range weapon," Rigel suggested. We nodded.

Ty stood on the first step nervously. Rigel glanced over at me.

"Listen, Livvie," he said, his blue eyes staring into mine. Ty went up a few more steps and it now felt like we were very, very alone.

"I just want to tell you…that night on the beach was really nice." His cheeks flushed. "And the thing is, for all we know, this quest could be—" He paused at the looked on my face, of panic and terror.

"Don't say that," I pleaded. "Just don't. We're all going to be fine." The thing about lying to yourself is that it doesn't work all that well.

Rigel took a deep breath. "It's just…" For a second he seemed hesitant and very, very nervous and I was beginning to question not only his sanity, but mine too, because I could have sworn he was getting closer.

Then, before I could react or do anything (although I wasn't quite sure what) he leaned in and kissed me, full on the lips, for no more than a second before pulling away.

I blinked a couple of times, unsure of how to respond.

He smiled nervously. "You're right Livvie. We'll be fine."

As we started up the stairs I couldn't help but think that was a great way to make a girl feel anything but _fine_. Honestly, did it not occur that him _kissing_ me before this would not help my concentration at all?

I didn't think it was possible to feel so much at once—sad, ecstatic, confused, and for some reason, angry. For some reason I was furious.

But I pushed all of that out of my mind. I couldn't focus on anything but getting Grey out of this terrible, damp place. Not Grey and our fights. Not the blame trying to settle around my shoulders. Not Rigel and his kiss.

My mind was as blank as sheet of clean, white paper. Blank. Just completely and totally blank.

At the top of the stairs Ty nodded and stepped out, before motioning me forward. Another scream ripped through the air. I crossed the hallway into the cover of another room, with Rigel close behind.

Slowly, so slowly, we crept down the hall until we came to what must have the living room. Ty held up one finger.

One. The number of times I've been kissed.

Ty held up another finger.

Two. For some reason my brain finally sorted out something. Two boys.

Ty held up the last finger.

Three.

There wasn't any time to think—I rushed forward into the room behind Ty, my duel swords ready to swing.

The next moment was chaos. The Chromandae turned away from a shadow in the corner and started to scream, loud and high pitched. It ran through my ears and for a moment my eyes went out of focus. Then Ty was hacking at one with a sword and I was rolling on the ground, slashing my swords as teeth flew and more screams echoed through the air.

All I could see was a mass of writhing, furry, dog-like bodies and I realized this must be their nest. As in, where they lived.

There were so many. I was fighting one, teeth against sword, with my right hand and another with my left.

I felt a weight on my back and was knocked to the ground and I yelled as I felt teeth against my upper back. I wiggled as much as I could, waving my swords around with reckless abandon, trying to keep the Chromandae off me as long as I could.

My eyes were looking through pairs of furry paws when I saw a familiar pair of violet eyes—Grey.

With new energy I threw off the Chromandae that was on top of me and struggled up to my knees, the bite in my back burning, along with a few new ones on my legs and arms. I crashed through them until I found Grey's body.

I couldn't see Ty or Rigel so I hopelessly grabbed Grey's arms and started to drag him towards the front door of the house through the moving mass of bodies. I refused to think about what state he was in—he was just unconscious, even if his eyes were open.

He was going to be fine.

Fine.

Another Chromandae leapt at me and although I did my best to block him his claws dug into my stomach and I was just about to collapse on the ground when two familiar figures hacked at the Chromandae, turning it to dust.

Someone grabbed my arm and draped it across their shoulders, and then the door was open and they were dragging me out to the truck, and I looked over and saw Rigel had Grey. He looked terrible. There were so many bites out of him, all oozing blood and gore. His face was frozen in a scream of terror.

The wound on my upper shoulder blades, stomach, arms and legs were all burning, burning so bad. It was all I could do not to fall on the ground limp and lifeless.

Behind us the Chromandae were giving chase, closing in quickly. Ty reached out the arm that wasn't propping me up, and I winced at the movement, for the truck, before stopping to a halt.

"IT'S NOT HERE!" she yelled panicky over the sound of the Chromandae screaming and shrieking.

"No—" Rigel yelled back. "WE LEFT IT FARTHER DOWN!" My brain was woozy from the blood loss and the world began to spin and Ty face suddenly became two of Ty's faces. I gave a silly kind of smile, distant, as if the things around me weren't happening.

Ty choked. "THE LAKEWATER CAME UP!" I swung my head in the direction of where I thought the truck was, and I could just make out the truck in a little more than five feet of water.

I had this fuzzy notion that I should be doing something, but I couldn't place my finger on it.

What was I supposed to do?

Ty and Rigel and the Chromandae's screams faded slowly to the background. I slowly turned around and saw Grey hanging lifelessly from Rigel's arms.

I was supposed to…

The lake water was so pretty. Not as pretty as the ocean, though.

The ocean…

My eyes snapped fully opened and the pain, that had reduced its self to a strange numbing sensation, returned.

I needed to move the water.

I pushed away from Ty and stood unsteadily on my feet.

And then I realized something. I was not at my strongest. In fact, I was very weak and I was having difficulty just keeping my balance. I didn't think I could take a step forward, much less move back five feet of water. It wasn't even salt water.

And then I knew I could. I could.

But I didn't think I'd ever recover from it. Ty, Rigel and Grey were all starting to triple when I closed my eyes.

I thought about them, for a couple seconds, then faced the lake. The Chromandae had caught up and Ty was yelling something, to me, I think, but it didn't register. Nothing did but what I planned to do.

I set my jaw and felt a familiar tug in my stomach. I yanked it, harder and harder and I thought I saw the water start to move back.

Slowly at first, then faster and faster. The farther back it moved the more acutely I felt the pain…everywhere.

I knew that this would probably kill me…yet my mind was strangely at peace. My only thought was that I hope Rigel and Ty had enough sense to get to the truck.

Then, suddenly, the water was pushed back, forming a giant wall, and Ty was starting the engine of the truck and roaring it towards me. The water threatened to fall while she was still in its path.

For a few more seconds I felt the pain, screaming across my skin, pounding into my skull, and what felt like another bite, right to the stomach again.

Then I felt more than saw that Ty was out of range of the wave, and I let go.

I let it all go, and the world faded to black.


	17. I Get High: On Emotions

**Hey guys! I hope you like this chapter...it explains a lot. :D **

**-Calypso C.**

**P.S. Did you know you can only put letters, numbers, commas and colons in the chapter titles? No periods or parentheses for me. (That's what I wanted to use.)**

* * *

><p>When I came to I was lying in the back of a trunk bed on several worn looking blankets, looking up at trees towering over me.<p>

I groaned as I felt my sore muscles. What happened?

Then it all came rushing back—Grey getting captured, us rescuing him, me pushing the water back from the truck.

Struggling to sit up I remembered other details from yesterday. Rigel's kiss. The way Grey looked after the Chromandae had bit him.

Almost as soon as I sat up Ty appeared next to me, in front of the truck bed.

"Hey," she said, grinning. "You're up!"

I gave her a weak smile in return. "Yeah." I looked around. The truck was parked in the middle of a clearing. Most of our gear was spread out next to the truck, as that's where it looked like Ty and Rigel, and I suppose Grey, must have slept.

"What happened after I blacked out?"

Ty climbed into the truck bed with me and gave me a gentle hug. I was surprised to find that she was crying.

"Oh Livvie—" Her voice cracked. "You _saved_ us. We would have died! And we thought you weren't going to make it for awhile." She squeezed tighter. "Actually, you weren't until Grey…" Ty trailed off, expecting me to protest at the sound of his name, but I just looked at her.

"He used his magic to heal you, Livvie. Rigel couldn't do much because of how bad the wounds were. But Grey…the state he was in…" Ty shook her head. "I was amazed. The effort almost killed him."

She looked around the clearing. "After we got you guys in the truck we slammed on the gas and drove here. This is where it ran out of gas."

I studied Ty. "Where is he?"

She seemed to know who I meant. "He's in the cab of the car." She carefully took my arm and led me down from the truck bed. I winced, trying not to show just how much it hurt.

Ty raised her hand and knocked on the window. A soft grunting noise came from the driver's seat, so Ty opened the door and helped me climb in. She gave me, and then Grey, a soft smile, then shut the door quietly and vanished.

Grey looked awful. His hair was matted and slicked with sweat, and his normally bright eyes were dull. His skin was splotchy and red where it wasn't bitten. Luckily most of the bites were covered in clean bandages. The most notable one was on his left cheek and neck.

He also looked incredibly frail, like he might blow away in the wind. I stared down at my hands.

"I'm sorry, Grey." I turned towards Grey and met his weak gaze. "I—I—" My voice choked with emotion. "I shouldn't have said that. That you should be dead. Because…"

I couldn't look him in the eyes. "Because when you were captured I realized that somehow you'd become someone I didn't want to lose. And the thought of those being the last words I would ever get to say to you…I—I—" Suddenly a tear sprang down my cheek and soon I was full out crying.

That whole time Grey hadn't said anything, he'd just listened patiently.

"No, I'm sorry, Christmas Girl." He took a deep breath. "It's just…" His voice became very small. "Before I came to camp…" He glanced nervously over at me. I think it was also a little bit relieved, and a little bit hopeful, sad and angry too. "The train…"

"Grey—you don't have to tell me if you don't want too. I'll understand." I brushed back my blonde hair and played with my fingers.

"No. I want to. I need to. I haven't been fair to you." He tightened his fists. "Before I came to camp I lived in the foster care system. My mortal parent, my dad, died when I was really young. In a car crash. I got put in the orphanage and I was introduced to my half sister. Lucy. She was two years younger than me.

"We were put in foster homes together, normally. But almost as soon as we arrived monsters attacked and we were sent away. Then one day, a woman came to visit. She said I was a demigod, and that she was my mother. I didn't believe her, at first. But then, the more I thought about it I realized it was true.

"Lucy and I…she was the only one I had. We did everything together. We even started sneaking into martial arts classes and learning a few things. She was my best friend."

He stared out the front of the car window. "When I was eight I finally ran away. I was so fed up with the foster homes; I just couldn't take it anymore. But I didn't go alone. I took Lucy. For a while we did okay. Then the monsters attacked."

Grey dropped his head down into his hands. "I don't know if Lucy was a demigod. I don't think so. But I should have just left her there, at the orphanage. But we snuck onto a train and we had so much fun. Kidding around, laughing, looking out the window.

"A monster was on the train with us. We didn't notice at first. It was right before we got off that we saw the strange looking dog. Nobody else noticed that a giant hellhound was on the train. Well, we got off the train and got a cab. I thought we were going to make it. To Camp Half-blood. My mother had told me about it.

"We were less than quarter mile away when the hell hound caught up. The cab crashed. We got ourselves out as best we could then started to run. But Lucy was a lot slower than I was. The hell hound attacked.

"I was only eight, but I did my best to kill him. I didn't of course. But I got Lucy away from him and carried her. I ran as fast as I could. The hell hound would catch up every once in a while, but I was still ahead.

"Then, no more than ten feet from the border, I looked down and realized…"

Grey bit his lip so hard it started to bleed. He leaned back and closed his eyes. "She was dead. I was so tired. So, so tired. I knew I wouldn't make it to the border carrying her. So I set her down and ran. I made it."

He let out a sob. "I didn't even get to say goodbye. She was just…gone."

I didn't know what to say and the tears from a couple minutes before started to return. "Grey—"

But he wasn't done.

"But the thing is…Lucy…" Tears poured freely down his cheeks and his voice was broken. "The reason I was so short with you at first…I thought I recognized you. Something about you reminded me of something bad, something…I didn't want to remember. And I was right."

Wet violet eyes met mine.

"Olivia, you looked just like her." He swallowed and bit his lip. "Just like her, except for the color of your hair. But the bright green eyes. The way you roll your eyes…and even your reaction to things. Every time I look at you…I see Lucy. And—and it's not fair to you at all!" Grey angrily wiped the tears from his face. "But I can't help it. I see my little sister…in you."

I just sat there. I didn't know how to respond, what to do or say. But as I sat there thoughts began to click into place. The reason he didn't like talking about where he learned martial arts. Why he didn't like trains. Why things that seemed pointless to me carried so much weight for him.

"Oh Grey…" I slowly shook my head, realizing what I'd done. "When I said you'd be better off dead—I didn't realize—I didn't know that you—" I broke off.

"Livvie," he said quietly. "I know you didn't mean it. And I—I didn't mean what I said either. I don't hate you."

I looked down. "Well that's good," I said gingerly. "Because I don't hate you either."

At that point, my emotions and hormones were so high I probably could have flown to the moon. During the search for Grey I had refused to think about him in any way at all…because I'd realized that him dying terrified me.

There was something else there too, but I was so tired. So worn out. So emotionally…exhausted.

Rigel's kiss flew through my mind and I felt more confused than ever. I didn't have the energy to think.

So I just did what came natural. I took Grey's hand in mine and squeezed, and wipe the tears from my face with the other.

Grey made a sound that sounded like an attempted laugh. "Look at us. Pathetic."

I gave a small smile. He was right. Our eyes were puffy and red, our bodies beaten and frail, and our minds probably would never recover.

"Thanks," I said in a hushed whisper. "For saving me. With your magic. Ty said it almost killed you."

"You did the same for us, Livvie," he said. "We're…friends. That's what friends are for."

Before I could think I leaned over and gave him a hug. We held it for slightly longer than necessary and when I pulled away I felt that although it wasn't all dramatic…maybe that hug was worth a lot. It meant more. Because it wasn't dramatic.

Of course, my thinking at that point was pretty much limited to "I'mamsofreakingtired." So really, it was tossup.

Then again…maybe I was right. Because after I had pulled away and leaned back in my seat, my mind seemed clear. Well, maybe not clear. But peaceful. And I fell asleep like that, slouched down in the passenger seat of an old, stolen truck, still gently holding Grey's hand.


	18. Never Trust A Train

The next morning dawned cool and bright, the fog disappearing once the sun rose. I woke up to find my hand still nestled in Grey's, his eyes still closed and sleeping. I didn't think I had ever seen him look more peaceful. I carefully slipped my hand out of his and gently opened the truck door, deciding to have a look around. After finding Ty and Rigel asleep in the back of the truck, I decided I needed to figure out where exactly we were going next.

I sat myself down on the ground, ignoring the dewy grass, and pulled out the map. I unfurled it, waiting for something to appear. The map remained stubbornly blank, though.

Instead of wasting my time waiting for it to magically show up again, I decided to go ahead and fix breakfast. Which turned out to be a half a bag of chips each. Since that didn't exactly take a lot of time, I got all of the stuff I could ready and packed up. I checked the gas tank and we we're very, very close to empty, but I thought we might be able to get a mile or two more out of it.

By that time it was about eight in the morning and I started shaking people awake. Rigel was _not_ happy about being woken up.

"Go away. It's not even daylight yet," he mumbled from his backpack/pillow.

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, we have a quest and a deadline, remember?" I gave Ty a tap on the shoulder. "Come on, Ty, get on up."

I walked around to the front of the truck and opened the passenger side where Grey was still sleeping. I stared at him for a moment and thought maybe the best way to deal with this was to act like everything was normal. So I shook his awake rather roughly.

"Get your lazy butt up, Grey!" I said, honking the horn. Then I yelled around the side, "That goes for you too, Rigel!"

"You couldn't have tried something else first?" Grey said ruefully, rubbing his head. "Like, oh, I don't know, shaking me gently?"

I raised an eyebrow. "And would that have worked?"

"Probably not, but you could have tried," Grey said matter-of-factly.

"Whatever, Stink Spells, we've got a long day—"

"Olivia!" Ty shrieked excitedly. "Look at the map!"

I spun around, with Grey hot on my heels, and raced over to where I had left the map. "What does it say?"

"It doesn't exactly say anything…there's just a picture of a raccoon looking thing," Ty responded, sounding puzzled. The four of us crowded around the map. Rigel took it and turned it upside down,as if to see if it looked any different.

"It looks like a logo," Grey said, leaning closer. "For some type of company?"

The longer I started at it the more sure I was that I had seen it someplace before. "It looks familiar, doesn't it?"

Ty nodded. "You know, I don't think it's for a company. I think it's for some type of…competition or something." She shook her head, frustrated. "I _know_ I've seen this before. I just know it."

Then red writing in cursive began at the bottom of the page.

_Problem Number Two_

"Well," Grey said. "We must be on to something about the competition thing, so I guess we should just keep heading...ummm...how about west?"

"But how do we get there?"

* * *

><p>The answer to Rigel's question was still a mystery once Ty drove the truck out of the woods and onto a road for about mile, because then it ran out of gas. We were in the absolute middle of nowhere and so we had no choice but to shoulder on our backpacks, abandon the truck, and get out and walk.<p>

We'd been walking for a couples hours in the hot sun and really, our walking had turned into something more along the lines of trudging.

"Hey!" I shouted. "I think I see something in the distance!" I pointed at the end of the road.

Ty squinted her eyes and shielded them with her hand. "I think you're right, Olivia!"

"It looks like a gas station," Rigel said, picking up the pace. "Come on! We're almost there."

Grey, who had sat down to rest (after all, both of us were still a bit worn out), grumbled as he climbed up. The gas station, as it turned out, was a bit of a letdown. The doors and windows were boarded up and the walls had graffiti everywhere. The pumps looked a gazillion years old and the pavement was cracked and weed filled. What was behind the gas station, however, was something else entirely.

Industrial train tracks faded off into the distance as far as the eye could see. They looked a bit rusty, but judging from the oil not too far away, they were still in use.

"Oh, joy," Grey said without enthusiasm. "More trains."

"Alright," I said, "take your pick. We can keep walking...and walking...and walking-"

"Fine, whatever, I know. Can we just eat lunch already?" he said, cutting me off.

"Let's go in the shade of the gas station and sit down," Ty suggested. For once we were all in perfect agreement. The pavement was cool and hard and after a bit of food we all started to feel better. I lay back on the pavement and put my hands behind my head. The sun was just the right warmth and the murmur of conversation was just enough to loll me to sleep.

* * *

><p>I was awakened suddenly by Rigel, his arms shaking my shoulders. "Get up, quick! There's a train coming!" The sun was slowly sinking and I realized I must have been asleep for hours.<p>

I hurriedly stuffed everything into my backpack and joined Ty, Grey, and Rigel by the tracks. Far off to the right lights glowed on the train tracks, and we could the the _chug-a-chug-a-chug_ of the train's wheels. The engine drew closer and closer and the noise started to fill up my ears.

"So are we going to climb in this thing?" I screamed.

"One of the boxcars!" Grey yelled back. I nodded and the engine screamed past me. Boxcars flashed forward and I pointed to a blue one near the end of the line.

"That one!"

As it approached I ran forward and leaped, just barely reaching the handrails on the side. Wind gushed past me and threatened to send me hurtling off but I clung on. My knuckles white and my grip tight, I carefully turned my head and, to my immense relief, saw Ty, Rigel, and Grey all hanging on. Ty used one hand to pull at the boxcar door, successfully swinging it open. We tumbled inside and the noise was gratefully quiet as the door rolled shut behind us.

Then we noticed the inside.

I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting. Maybe an empty car, maybe some crates. Definitely dust and a hard floor. All I know is I was most certainly not expecting a garden.

We stood around in awe, looking at the greenery surrounding us. I don't know if the walls were just painted really well, or if they actually did go on forever. Shrubs and grass and assorted colored flowers sprung out of a grassy floor; all picture perfect, all beautiful. It even smelled like a garden; fresh air, the perfume of flowers, and freshly cut grass.

"What-what is this place?" Ty asked in awe, spinning around to get a better look.

"I don't know," I said with wonder, stooping down to feel the grass. A brightly colored bird flew past my head, followed by a group (herd? colony?) of butterflies.

Even Grey was looking awestruck and a bit dazed. The only one of of us who didn't seem out of it was Rigel.

"Guys, doesn't something about this seem a little fishy to you?" Rigel asked up, pointing at the nearest bush. "This is supposed to be a mortal train...and there's just happens to be a garden in the boxcar we jump into? Yeah, right." Rigel pulled his bow off of his back and notched an arrow. "This is a monster trap if I've ever seen one."

I probably should have listened to him.

But I didn't.

"But it's so beautiful," Grey said dreamily. That really should have been a clue that something was wrong. I mean, Grey said _dreamily_? Yeah...monster trap.

"Oh, relax Rigel," I giggled. "Everything is going to be fine."

And at that precise moment a loose handing vine from the ceiling snatched up Rigel like a bird pecking for worms. His loud yell was cut off as one of the vines covered his mouth and the others held his body to the ceiling. Rigel started to struggle and squirm and that seemed to be enough to lessen the daze surrounding my head.

"Guys, we have to do something!" I yelled, pointing frantically to Rigel. Ty continued to wander around and Grey kept staring at one of the flowers. I think he was talking to it. Grunting in frustration I pulled off my bracelet and wielded my duel swords. A startled scream came from behind me and I turned around just in time to see Grey being pulled up to the ceiling too.

A vine snaked its way toward me but I fended it off with the swipe of a blade. But that wouldn't keep it for long and there were dozens more of them them twirling about in the air.

"Whoa," Ty mumbled as she rubbed her eyes. "What's happening?"

"Ty, get it together!" I nearly yelled in her face. "We're being attacked!"

Wildly she looked around and saw the boys trapped to the top of the boxcar.

"Crap."

"You said it," I muttered, slicing another vine. Ty pulled out her knife and we stood back to back, circling, trying to figure out what we should do.

"What is this place?" Ty whispered. "And how do we get the boys down?"

"Those are important questions," I acknowledged, fear creeping into my voice. "Here's another one. Where in the name of Zeus did the door go?"

Because no matter how hard I looked around, I couldn't seem to find the outline of the door we had come through. Which meant one thing.

We were trapped.


End file.
